Folded Wings
by Blind writer
Summary: Misperceptions wreak havoc on our favorite duo in the wake of the events of movie 14.  When understanding goes awry, where will it lead them?  KidCon.
1. Right wing: Flustered

_A/N: Drabble. Movieverse, takes place immediately in the aftermath of Movie 14. KidCon._

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><p>The night was no longer young, and streets formerly filled with stragglers returning to their homes were now silent, as window lights began to flicker into darkness. A lazy summer breeze coursed through the alleyways, carrying with it a humid weight that promised rain in the coming hours. Heat still radiated off the blacktop, and combined with the muggy air, it was uncomfortable. Window air conditioning units hummed in the darkness, matching in an off-tune pitch with the cicada song echoing from tree to tree. Street lamps flickered dimly, pale swatches of peach staining the ground, and lining the uneven pathway.<p>

A small hand reached out to press a sweaty palm against the nearest lamppost as Conan paused to catch his breath. He brought the other hand to wipe at his brow and winced at the motion. His arm was still sore from his recent run-in with that gun-toting criminal on the airship, which was also making running somewhat difficult. Each jolt agitated his wound, becoming more painful as he continued on, and his head was beginning to ache. Sighing, he let his arm drop back to his side, pressing his weight more into the pole. Pain-killers would be in store for him before bedtime, tonight.

Luckily, and if his deduction was correct, the place should be nearby, but he did not want to show up out of breath. He especially did not want to show up looking as handicapped and weary as he felt.

Damn that thief for not giving him much notice. What the hell did he do, follow him all the way back? Put a tracer in one of their bags? On their person? He already returned the Lady Sky, so exactly _why_ was the thief continuing to keep tabs on him? More importantly, _why_ did he feel the need to send out _another_ notice? They'd barely made it back to Hattori's house when he found it nestled in his things, and he knew it hadn't been there earlier that evening. It was a personal invite, so Conan knew it probably had nothing to do with stealing another jewel, but the logic of it was still lost on the boy. He'd have to squeeze the answers out of the thief himself. Moreover, he fully intended to give him more than just a piece of his mind after that stunt he pulled with Ran. That flashy bastard, he had his arms around her!

He growled, pushing himself away from the pole and stuffing his hands into his pocket. To preserve his energy, he would walk the remainder of the way to his final destination. He caught sight of the street sign nearby, and smiled. He pulled out his phone, and double-checked his directions. Osaka was not familiar territory for the detective, and it made him feel a little more vulnerable than he'd have liked. If he had to give chase, and he imagined he would, no doubt he'd likely find himself incredibly lost. This was a more rural area of town, he noted. An appropriate choice of location.

He'd entertained thoughts of dragging Hattori out with him. Kid's note insisted he come alone, however, which was _very_ odd. He expected the thief would probably do something drastic if he reneged on the request, though. He was pissed off at Kid, but he _had_ helped him out with today's case. So instead, he managed to slip away (which was more difficult than he liked, involving some creative lying), and which currently found him here, in a rural corner of Osaka, chasing the white shadow.

Another several minutes, and he paused in front of a large factory warehouse. Muttering short nothings under his breath about size and shortness, he ducked through the barring rails, and made his way into the store yard. It looked to be a quarry of sorts, as he noted huge piles of soil and gravel to one side, covered by blue patches of tarp pinned to the ground. Carried by the wind, he could smell the earthiness of mulch piles in various states of decay, and his eyes wandered over to another series of piles as he passed around the next corner. Water tanks seated on small tower frames scattered themselves throughout the facility, tiny stair-steps winding around them in steep spirals. The place was huge; larger than he first thought. Just where did the thief expect for him to be found?

"I was beginning to wonder if you were going to show up, Tantei-kun."

His glasses flashed against a nearby light as his head rose to the voice. The thief crouched amongst a crisscrossing patch of metal piping, practically hiding in the heart of a nearby water tank's legs. Out of range of an impulsive soccer ball, Conan noticed.

He settled into a comfortable stance, hands shoved into his pockets. Well, it saved him the trouble of searching. Cool eyes regarded the thief. "I had other plans, you know."

"Nice to know you could spare the time." Kid straightened himself, and drew closer. His shoes clicked lightly, almost like music as they rang against the metallic piping. The makeshift shelter cast odd shadows over the thief, and Conan frowned, unable to see the other's face.

"Any chance to capture a criminal is as good as any." Kid clucked his tongue softly at this in something almost like fond amusement. That might have been true for any other criminal. Not Kaitou Kid. And it frustrated Conan to have it be so obvious. They had a tenuous kind of agreement Conan barely even recognized consciously, and he definitely did not want to dwell on it overmuch. He could not bring himself to admit he felt something akin to friendship for someone who, by all rights, should be his enemy.

"So you say." The thief stopped at the threshold, one gloved hand curled around an outer railing for support. The effect was almost surreal. With the metal running back and forth, it gave Conan a start - very nearly, it was like a mock image of Kid in jail. This mental image elicited a low chuckle, which prompted Kid to tilt his head curiously.

"Why'd you call me out here, Kid?"

"Hmm, why indeed. Curiosity, perhaps?"

Conan scoffed at the non-answer. "Curiosity? You're like a cat!" He fingered the clip at his belt demonstratively. If he wanted to play with fire, he'd definitely get burned. There was still the matter with Ran, as well. No way would he go easy on him.

After a thoughtful pause, Kid grinned at that, slicing white through the darkness with his amusement. His voice was playful. "I always land on my feet in the end."

Memories from earlier in the day flashed through his head, giving rise to another sort of headache. He gave the thief a deadpan glare. "Not from what I've seen. Your landings _suck_."

"Ah, that. I was distracted." Conan's gaze held steady, and Kid elaborated. "You had me _captured_ in your hand and all."

Crimson flashed through the detective's face, as his frazzled memories suddenly became alarmingly clear. The fingers of his right hand tensed, and sensory memory came to the fore. "I had no intention - I didn't mean to - that was a mistake - I had no choice!" He sputtered and tripped over his words, struggling to get them out in some semblance of coherency. Damnit, that was a low blow, and it should have embarrassed Kid more than it embarrassed him. He'd _groped_ Kaitou Kid. At least he had confirmed the Kid was definitively male. He was pretty certain before, but this left no shadow of a doubt. His lips stuttered the words out in some desperate plea to salvage his dignity. "Sorry!"

Head low, he blinked at himself. Why did he apologize? After receiving an invite to meet the white shadow, he came here, intended to vent his anger, smack him around with a soccer ball, and possibly shoot him with a tranquilizer-laden needle. Yet, here he was, bowing his head like someone who sullied someone's purity. He groaned internally. He would need to get resolution about that quickly, or he knew Kid would never let him live it down. And to his horror, the warm sensation ghosting over his fingertips just would _not_ go away!

Blue eyes flickered back up to see the thief quietly making his way closer. He was a bit satisfied to see the thief was not completely immune to the situation, and even in the dim surroundings could see a bit of color on his cheeks, though his attention seemed cautiously focused on Conan's twitching fingers, which were still hovering over his belt. Quirking his lips, he allowed his hand to drop back to his side, signifying their temporary truce.

A soft cough. "Given the situation, it was understandable."

The silence was thick and heavy after that. Conan shifted his weight from one foot to the other before speaking up again, a bit of attitude returning. "You could have dropped me. I might have been able to grab one of the handholds."

Kid frowned at him. "Not a chance." He stepped closer, letting a few fingers float over the white bandage around the detective's head before sliding down to similarly hang over his arm, gauze peeking out from under his sleeve. Conan kept a wary eye as the thief moved, crouching down to his eyelevel. "A lightweight like you would have gone flying again. No way was I going to let go."

"Not my fault I'm like this." It was a petulant mutter, but still carried in the darkness. Even though the thief was not touching him, he could still feel the heat from the hand moving over his wounds in an almost appraising kind of motion. It made him entirely too self-conscious, and he found it difficult to ignore. The thief was methodically checking his injuries. He might have looked it, but he wasn't a kid who needed nursing!

"Hmm." More of a non-committal sound than anything, he hummed almost absently in reply. Conan figured it was his way of respecting his secret, and not digging his nose where it didn't belong, something he greatly appreciated. He was so absurdly strange, though. Audacious one moment, strangely considerate the next, even if he still maintained that frustratingly cocky smirk the whole while. Simply put, he was a criminal profiler's _worst nightmare_.

White fingers finally came up to hover over the band-aid Kid had given him earlier and stilled. Pink crept back onto his cheeks without permission, the heat noticeably bouncing off the thief's gloves and radiating back onto his skin. He'd seen the tiny inscription there when he saw it in the mirror while inspecting his head wound. His brain tumbled all kinds of random ideas around, trying to determine if it was some sort of practical joke on the magician's part, or if there were other mitigating factors that would explain why Kaitou Kid carried around band-aids that read "Shin'ichi **v** Love". Was he planning on giving them to Ran? Did it have something to do with whatever "that sort of thing" Ran was talking about? Was he planning on some other prank? His musings cut short as the thief spoke.

"You know, it was no lie when I said I was curious. It seems I have my answer, but it's merely made me even more curious." Indigo eyes were staring at him with an expression he could not define. Was that confusion? No, something else. Wonder? Suddenly, Conan was incredibly uncomfortable, and he shifted his weight again. He really did not feel like answering any implicating questions regarding men dressed in black, or the scientific secrets of shrinking. That was _his_ problem. It was bad enough the thief knew his true identity. He would not go about satisfying that kind of curiosity.

"What the hell are you talking about, Kid…" He let exasperation color his words, shoving his hands into his pockets in what he hoped was a marked display of nonchalance.

"This." A finger lightly traced the bandage on his cheek. Conan sighed in irritation.

"None of the wounds were that serious. I was only grazed, so don't think this will slow me down." He took the moment to form a crook of a smartass grin. "Unless you mean your prank. 'Shin'ichi love'? Not sure what you were planning with that one."

That familiar, arrogant smirk came in reply, then movement.

His muscles seized in confused shock. There was something soft. And warm. Lips? Lips. Those were lips. Kid's lips. On his. His brain circled around, looking for the proper word to describe it. What was it again - when two pairs of lips comes together? Oh, that's right. A kiss. They were kissing. His brain stuttered. He was _kissing_ Kaitou Kid. His mind rebooted. No, Kaitou Kid was kissing _him_.

He swung an arm out, and drew back, growling. "Kid, you-!" His hand shot up to cover his mouth, the crimson flush catching up just as quickly and burning his fingertips.

Kid hopped back several paces, light on his toes, and a low chuckle followed. "Definitely curious."

Conan glared daggers at the thief, free hand impulsively drawing down to his shoe's power switch. He flinched as a card embedded itself into the ground less than an inch from his fingers, and shot a disparaging glance at the other. Kid was a good shot, but that was still too damn close. Had he moved, he might have lost a finger. He scowled, frozen in mid-motion, and hissed out the words. "_What's the big idea, Kid?_"

The white hat was tipped forward, casting a near-black shadow on his face, and all the detective could see was that infuriating white grin. Even the monocle lay hidden under the brim. All vestiges of familiarity disappeared, and Kid stood like a pale statue, almost as if he'd become a total stranger. For a moment, the only movement was the settling silk of Kid's cape, and the bobbing of his clover charm.

Slowly, the magician's supporting left hand released his wrist, and dropped back to his side. The right maintained his aim with his card gun. "You can consider this making things even." His head tilted to a more rakish angle, and life breathed back into the form before him. "A down payment."

Conan's scowl deepened. "That was an accident."

His grin widened. "Take responsibility. You were the thief this time."

And then all at once, light exploded in his eyes, causing imaginary fireflies to dance across his vision. He winced against the onslaught, and yanked an arm up to hide behind. Straining his ears, he could hear the faint rustling of fabric and light tapping of shoes as the moonlight thief took his leave. Once he adjusted again to the darkness, Kid was gone. Releasing a huge, pent up sigh, he let himself sink fully to his knees.

"What the _hell_?" His fingers trembled, hovering over his mouth. A mortified red stain stubbornly persisted on his cheeks, and felt hot in the muggy summer evening. He ignored the flickering buzz of a dying light, the rippling of tarp in an increasing breeze, and the distant clacking of chains. The clouds lazily tumbled together in the sky, blotting out the moon, and casting dim shadows. It wasn't until ten minutes later the detective finally picked himself up and started on his way back.

This was one mystery, he resolved, that he was okay with leaving alone. Somehow, he felt, it would be like stirring up a bee's nest, so for now, he would ignore that niggling in the back of his brain, and just focus on placing one foot in front of the other. He would get back, enjoy a late night snack with Hattori, joke around, and sleep himself into oblivion. He would leave dealing with the thief until next time. And there _would_ be a next time. That much he promised himself.


	2. Left wing: Flustered

_A/N: Every story has as many sides as there are people, and perhaps even more. This time, Kid's perspective adds a twist. I wonder, is it what you were expecting? Reviews appreciated. Writing this proved far more annoying than I thought it would be. Remind me to __**never**__ do Rashomon again._

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><p>It was surprisingly quiet. The hubbub of the day had finally quieted down to a muted murmur, as people settled in for the night. Once news got wind of the fact that the killer bacteria was a hoax, the streets of the Kansai region became lively again, families scrambling back just as eagerly to their abandoned homes, seeking out the familiarity and safety of their relatives and friends. It was almost as if the very air was heaving a collective sigh of relief, brushing the anxiety away with a warm breath.<p>

Chains clanked in protest against the invading breeze, covering the light noise of his shoes as he landed on a small water tower. His monocle charm swung, head moving to survey the facility. Machinery lay sleeping where they were left, as the workers had fled earlier. Loose tarps billowed in the wind, for the moment forgotten. The place seemed even more quiet in the darkness, and Kid felt it was a mixed kind of blessing that the panic had scattered the people so far and wide. It seemed that his impromptu meeting would be relatively incident-free. Provided Tantei-kun decided to show up, rather. He wasn't even sure if he would or not - he was fully aware of the incredibly short notice. Even so, there were some things he wanted to talk to him about.

A metal staircase provided him with an easy path down, and he curled his way around the structure, pausing midway to regard the labyrinth at its core. With a flash of white across his face, he twisted his way into the depths, and curled into a comfortable kind of nest. Perhaps less comfortable than one of the dirt piles, but he could _play_ here. Catching his weight with the crook of his wrist, he hauled himself up to his waist, and allowed himself to hang for a moment before flipping up with a flourish. He grinned, and set himself into a makeshift cape-hammock, letting his feet swing in lazy arcs.

Leaning back, he heaved a huge sigh. Gods, today was more than just exhausting, it was like waging all out war. Biochemical weapons, hired mercenaries, and bombs, _oh my_. Toss in undercover criminals and an elaborate scheme to steal national treasures, and you had a full plate. He should have known that adding Tantei-kun into the mix would cause things to get all shaken up and convoluted the way they had. Sometimes taking the old man Jirokichi's challenges were far more risky than he probably intended them to be. Things were _never_ easy around Tantei-kun.

Flipping, he hung from one of the metal bars by his knees, enjoying a solid crack from the bones in his back as the position pleasantly pulled on his muscles. No doubt, he would be sore for a few days. He had to resort to some of his more creative gymnastics maneuvers when the airship had suddenly lurched. It was not normal for the ground beneath you to suddenly turn on its side, and he somehow knew the entire episode was all Tantei-kun's fault. He was a walking disaster magnet. Well, in the end, it made his job relatively risk-free when it came to snatching the jewel, even if it wasn't what he was looking for. To have all the officers so conveniently tied up in ropes was an unexpected bonus to tonight's heist.

A scrape of rubber sole against gravel caught his attention, and glancing over, he saw the bobbing head of the subject of his thoughts. Glasses flashed as Tantei-kun shot his head back and forth in quick, measured sweeps. He grinned. For all he professed about being a detective, he still had a knack for snooping around places he shouldn't be, and Kid imagined it might get the runt in some serious trouble one day. More serious than usual, anyhow.

Bemoaning the fact he had no more time for relaxing on the monkey bars, he knew it was time to put on his game face. With a grin, he pulled himself upright and into a low crouch before calling out. "I was beginning to wonder if you were going to show up, Tantei-kun."

Blue eyes fixed on him and narrowed. From his vantage, he could see the slight quirk of an eyebrow, and a small smirk form. That was as much a greeting smile as anything. He turned towards Kid, and casually slid his hands into his pockets. "I had other plans, you know."

Kid wondered momentarily if there was _another_ case he had dragged him away from. Somehow, he wouldn't be surprised. "Nice to know you could spare the time." He hopped as he made his way through the metal maze. It seemed to him, Tantei-kun was inevitably working on one case or another. Tantei-kun was anything, if not a busybody.

"Any chance to capture a criminal is as good as any." Kid clucked his tongue, admonishing Tantei-kun for his overeagerness. He went through great pains to find a remote location that wouldn't have any promise of random corpses cropping up. Not such a shabby place, given the short notice and unfamiliar locale, but then again, Kid prided himself on scouting out good locations for a variety of purposes. Tantei-kun should at least trust him for _that_.

"So you say." He reached the edge and allowed the weight of his cape to pull him back, covertly stretching the kinks out of his arms and legs. A strange little chuckle drew his attention, and he saw Tantei-kun giving him an odd look. He tilted his head and shot Kid a lopsided quirk of a grin.

"Why'd you call me out here, Kid?"

"Hmm, why indeed." He mused this over for a moment. Plainly put, he wasn't entirely sure what the right question was that he wanted to ask. There were many episodes about today he wanted to talk about, but he supposed, above all, there was that one burning question that was still more feeling than words. An unease, something off, something just not right, something akin to unfinished business. He had to make sure, to confirm, because it was unsettling, even if undefined. It was hazy and uncertain in his brain, so since the words were not forthcoming, he opted for a more general response. "Curiosity, perhaps?"

"Curiosity? You're like a cat!" He tensed as Tantei-kun drew himself into an aggressive pose, flaunting that abomination of a belt. A flicker of pink, and he watched as he licked his lips, like a hungry predator. If _anyone_ resembled a cat, it had to be Tantei-kun. Well, a kitten, more like. The mental image was funny, in a way.

"I always land on my feet in the end."

His face scrunched into a variety of expressions before leveling out into one that was decidedly unimpressed. "Not from what I've seen. Your landings _suck_."

Kid frowned internally. That was decidedly rude, and entirely not his fault. It was unfair, and something Kid never wanted to have happen again. He had a reputation to maintain, after all. "Ah, that. I was distracted. You had me _captured_ in your hand and all." His smile was smug, fully intent on hackling the brat for the insult to his pride. No way was that an unintentional slip of the hand - it felt way too good to be _accidental_. Was he trying to force Kid to _drop_ him?

It was an interesting sort of progression to watch, and it worked almost like clockwork. One beat to process, another beat to freeze in shock, and a third beat to rise in color. That strange swirling thought in his head came more into focus, and Kid blinked as it pressed for dominance. Free hand flailing, his other twitched in rhythmic spasms over his belt buckle as Kid watched the usually calm and collected Tantei-kun succumb to a fit of embarrassment. Any other situation, and he might have found it absolutely obscene. "I had no intention - I didn't mean to - that was a mistake - I had no choice! Sorry!" His uncontrolled sputtering culminated in a low bow of his head.

Kid blinked again at the odd, almost comical performance. That went entirely different than he anticipated. He had expected Tantei-kun to be embarrassed, sure, but figured he'd then spout off his usual smartass retorts, turning the conversation back to the witty quips and verbal swordplay that defined their unconventional friendship. What he was not expecting was an apology. The curious thought brimming in his mind finally became crystal clear. A hypothesis he wasn't sure he had, suddenly screaming for confirmation, and he knew now why he had called Tantei-kun out for this late night conversation.

He slanted his eyes at the bowed head, and silently hopped to the ground, making his way closer. Multiple times in the past, he'd let Kid escape. Multiple times, he'd placed trust in him. Even today, he made no move to prevent Kid from taking the Lady Sky. Even now, he blindly followed the personal invite, and alone to boot - not a sign of police anywhere. He was giving Kid _special treatment_. Why?

Suddenly, the grope earlier that day made so much more sense, and the resulting apology. The impulsive, angry, and jealous chase he'd given Kid as he pulled away from an aborted kiss with the Mouri girl. The comfortable ease, and leniency he commonly gave him. His failure to alert the police, despite numerous opportunities.

Could it be that Tantei-kun, like so many others, had fallen under Kaitou Kid's spell? He had full confidence in his charm, but to win over a detective? Moreover, his toughest critic? Tantei-kun let his hands drop to his side, looking for all the world like a defeated little puppy. Kid flushed a bit in amusement, and gave a soft little cough to stifle a chuckle. It was a shaky theory at best, but…

"Given the situation, it was understandable."

Indigo eyes watched carefully as he shifted under his gaze. He was definitely uncomfortable, and was licking his lips in nervous little spurts. "You could have dropped me. I might have been able to grab one of the handholds."

Kid frowned at the diversion tactic. "Not a chance." White gloves reached out to inspect the wrapping around Tantei-kun's head. He did feel bad that he had been hurt during his heist, though. Squatting, his hands ghosted over the gunshot wound in his arm - and here Kid was thinking the guy could take care of himself! Small shoulders visibly tensed, and Kid could feel the eyes on him as he moved, causing him to hide a grin. Was Tantei-kun being self-conscious? "A lightweight like you would have gone flying again. No way was I going to let go."

"Not my fault I'm like this."

"Hmm." He suspected that probably had something to do with the reason behind his shrunken form, and had no desire whatsoever to open that can of worms. He had enough of his own problems to deal with. Shrinking had _nothing_ on murderous crazies hunting for mythical jewels and immortality.

His fingers raised up and he looked more closely at the bandage on Tantei-kun's cheek. It really was a cute little thing the Mouri girl had done, writing that inscription, and Kid wondered if Tantei-kun knew anything about it. Absently, he let his hand hover close to the skin, curious if there were any other wounds he had picked up today. Belatedly, Kid realized he was all but caressing his cheek. Pink exploded over the small features, and Kid watched in mild fascination as it coursed down his neck. Behind the glasses, Tantei-kun's brow furrowed lightly, and he unconsciously pursed his lips. If that wasn't telling, he didn't know what was.

There was _definitely_ something going on there.

"You know, it was no lie when I said I was curious. It seems I have my answer, but it's merely made me even more curious." Kid regarded Tantei-kun with a considering eye.

"What the hell are you talking about, Kid…" He tried dismissing him by shoving his hands into his pockets.

"This." He ignored the petulant dismissal, and pointedly slid a thumb across his cheek, noting the flinch he tried disguising with a sigh.

"None of the wounds were that serious. I was only grazed, so don't think this will slow me down." Dark eyes raised up and challenged him. Something inside fluttered in a familiar kind of dance. That challenge was what lay at the heart of everything between them, the very core of things. It's what pushed Kid so hard, so he was glad Tantei-kun wouldn't let an injury deter him. "Unless you mean your prank. 'Shin'ichi love'? Not sure what you were planning with that one."

The band-aid was not meant to be any kind of prank, but he found it amusing Tantei-kun thought of it that way. Again, that same flicker of pink as he licked his lips, and Kid wondered if he was even aware he was doing it. Given what he knew now, it was like a blatant invite. A leer grew on his face as the idea popped into his head. Well, if he was under his spell, he might as well indulge the brat. All things considered, it might make future heists both more interesting and a bit easier, so embracing his spontaneity as he usually did, Kid leaned forward.

It wasn't until after he pressed his lips to Tantei-kun's that he realized, mental facilities aside, he was in a _seven year old body_. Kid flinched when he felt the nervous flicker of a tongue. It was so shocking, Kid was at a total loss as to what to do. Tongue thwarted, Tantei-kun leaned and gave a weak grunt of annoyance which vibrated indecently into Kid's mouth, and sunk into his chest. The entire exchange made Kid embarrassingly lightheaded. Tantei-kun had just tried to French him!

When he finally remembered himself, a sharp intake of air was all the warning Kid had to avoid the arm that violently swung out and around. "Kid, you-!"

Tantei-kun was all but glowing, and futilely trying to hide it behind his fingers. He laughed at the feeble attempt, effectively hiding his own breathiness, and beat a hasty retreat. "Definitely curious."

From the corner of his eye, Kid could see him reaching for his shoe, and quickly spirited his card gun from its hidden holster, firing off a warning shot. Everything came to a standstill at that point, blue eyes aghast, and pinned on him.

"_What's the big idea, Kid?_" The voice was venom, and he knew it had everything to do with his haphazard shooting. It was probably only his innate aversion to hurting people that spared Tantei-kun's fingers from accidental maiming. Using all his willpower, he forced himself to still, allowing the remnant adrenaline still singing in his veins to slow down and die.

He took a deep and slow calming breath, willing his hands to stop shaking - it had been a long, long time since his aim was so compromised. When he felt he had enough control, he allowed himself to settle into a more comfortable pose. "You can consider this making things even." Things were certainly going to be interesting in the future, if Kid had anything to do with it. Tilting his head, he grinned at Tantei-kun, and darkly added on his promise. "A down payment."

"That was an accident."

Kid knew better than that. Disregarding the fact Kid initiated the kiss, it was intended to be a teasing peck, not some make-out session. Tantei-kun had so shamelessly earned retribution, trying to molest him twice in one day. He cooed his reply. "Take responsibility. You were the thief this time."

And with that, he blinded him before taking the opportunity to dash away. He vaulted himself over the rail entry, and made his way around a few corners, pausing in a darkened alley to pull himself into a disguise. The nearby wall served as an effective support, as he let himself slump against it unceremoniously.

His knees pulled up, and he wrapped his arms around them, curling around himself. He felt dirty, sullied. Like a piece of his innocence had been ripped away, raped and twitching in a corner of his mind. There was nothing wrong with Tantei-kun, aside from the fact that he was, in all appearances, a _child_. Kid should not be having unbidden reactions to a runt, even if he was fully aware that Tantei-kun was anything BUT a runt. The playing field was supposed to be his, and the rules were supposed to be his own. How dare he go in and toss in his usual wrench and twist things up. A detective, a non-child, and crushing on an international criminal. Usual screwed up fare for Tantei-kun. His forehead fell onto one knee. He was absolutely _mortified_. He'd grown to like the little nuisance, too.

Indigo eyes slid up to glare at the wall opposite him. He would cause Tantei-kun as much embarrassment as he could, daring to even consider accosting the Kaitou Kid while in such an inappropriate body. Oh yes, he would cause him to regret dragging Kid into his messed up little world. He would tip his reality so far sideways, he wouldn't even know which way was up anymore. With that promise in mind, he pulled himself up, and disappeared into the night.


	3. Offbeat

_A/N: You guys must realize, this was supposed to be a one-shot. Then I had the stupid idea to re-write the first chapter into a second, bastardized version. And now I feel obligated to sort out the problems I induced there, albeit in a deliberately perfunctory fashion that I absolutely will not apologize for. Hence, the birth of FW. *headdesk* My brain, it bleeds gooey stuff._

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><p>Despite his best efforts, the unbidden reactions he felt would not erase themselves from his mind. It was met with much frustration as well, having no luck finding answers from the Internet. Every site he visited was based around the concept of relationship counseling. As common sense as it was, it was still annoying that there was a distinct lack of "thief and detective" descriptors in the filter for relationship "type", especially not <em>underage<em> detectives. The closest he could think of was perhaps "business" relationship, but that sadly did not seem to include kissing, or groping, or anything close to what Tantei-kun had done to him.

How was he supposed to find an explanation for the strange things his body did during that impromptu meeting? This was not supposed to be such a difficult thing. He was not stupid - rather, in fact, he prided himself on his sideways intellect. But this was entirely uncharted territory, and clearly new to the _world_, judging by his abysmal Google results. Surely there had to be _some_ kind of scientific study _somewhere_ regarding the physical effects of being molested and/or kissed by minors. He really wanted to find some counter-measure. The spiderbots were doing a poor job of helping his cause. So, as a last resort, he found himself ceding to the tried and true method - asking one's peers.

During his civilian life, Kaito was extremely careful and dutiful about keeping his one huge secret just that - a secret. But, as for everything else, he had a terrible tendency to be brash, blunt, and get himself into trouble by the things he said, either intentionally or not. Today was no exception. After all, how else to broach the subject without outright describing what happened? Ask other people about their own experiences, of course.

"Aoko, you kiss people, right?"

"_Excuse_ me?" A few desks down, he could hear some sputtering coming from Hakuba's seat. Despite the interesting reaction, he maintained his glance at Aoko, in hopes for her wisdom to aid him in his plight. Her incredulous and warning tone was clear to him though, so he quickly added on an additional clarification.

"When you kiss someone, what kind of reaction do you get?" He supplied her with a winsome smile as well, in an effort to cajole an answer. If it was as embarrassing as he suspected, maybe he could rile it out of her.

He dodged the incoming bag swung at his head, and sighed internally. While just as reactive as he liked her, it was not exactly the explanation he was looking for. Aoko was a physical person, so he figured she must kiss her dad on the cheek a lot, and probably her good friend Keiko, as well. Hadn't Hakuba also given her a quick kiss on her hand, once? She should know these things, right?

"Kaito, you pervert!" But maybe not.

"I'd try to ask Akako-san, but I'm afraid she might try to kiss me!" Honestly, he felt the witch would know best about this subject, considering her extensive control over the rest of the school's male population, but stoutly refused to talk to her more than necessary. She still gave him chills down his spine, regardless that she seemed to have mellowed out after her failed attack on his life. Akako was an expert about manipulating people, and he had a sneaking suspicion she may have even used the same methods Tantei-kun had, but the thought of dredging up that possibility was frankly rather terrifying, and he had no intention of revealing how effectively it knocked him off-balance. No need to give her ammunition to use against him. His defensive retort was met by another aimed flash of black leather, as Aoko's bag flew in an arc through the air.

"Girls are not like you, Ba-Kaito." She was seething at some implication he did not fully understand - and really, why was she so short-tempered today? He'd only flipped her skirt one time this morning, and hadn't even announced the pattern he found there (green polka dots). This was completely ignoring the fact it was still only lunchtime, and they had half a school day left to burn. His plan to disrupt biology with his flock of pigeons was still over an hour away. Any flying skirts at that time would be purely incidental. They were studying avian characteristics, after all. Human biology was still much further in the curriculum.

But, she had a point.

"Hmm." He ducked, dodging another fierce swing and popped up in a low crouch in front of Hakuba's desk, resting his chin on folded arms. Indigo eyes peered curiously up at him, even as Aoko still stood a bit flabbergasted from Kaito's sudden disappearance a mere ten feet away. Foreigners commonly kissed each other on the cheeks, so far as he knew. Moreover, he knew Hakuba often acted out the suave gentleman, and personally witnessed him kissing a number of pretty lady's hands. As a plus, he was a _detective_. "You're prim, but a guy. You're a foreigner, so I know you've kissed before. What's your reaction like?"

Faintly, he felt the surface give way and move under his arms, and he could swear the desk was vibrating. Oh, maybe that was just Hakuba shaking. He was awfully pink in the face, causing Kaito to grin. Okay, so maybe he wasn't so wrong having that reaction to Tantei-kun. Must be a natural, uncontrolled physical kind of thing. But still, Tantei-kun was two things: a male, and in a tiny body. Maybe he should be more specific.

"Have you kissed a guy before?" Suddenly, he fell pale, and shot Kaito a look of horror.

"Kuroba-kun." Kaito tilted his head slightly, hoping for a satisfactory answer. All boys were perverts, right? Regardless of circumstance. A strange play of hormones. It had nothing to do with anything else. His voice was slow, meticulous, and a bit strained. "I am British, not gay."

A beat. Another. Then Kaito bust out in a heartfelt laugh. He had a few seconds to indulge the humor before Aoko zeroed in on him, aghast at the short clip of conversation she had overheard.

"Kaito!" Her voice softened a bit, as she meekly sent an apologetic head bow at Hakuba. "I'm so sorry, he's an idiot."

"Aoko, that's mean!" Kaito was still struggling through errant tremors of laughter rolling through his chest. Normally he was light and quick on his feet, but with this newest distraction, she was successful in clocking him upside the head with a dull _thunk!_ He crouched, cradling his head and rubbing at the point of impact with careful fingers. "Ow!"

Aoko leaned in and hissed in his ear. "What is _wrong_ with you today, Kaito?"

The grin he shot at her was a bit disarming, and caused her to back off, if only minutely. "Research." The prickle at the nape of his neck alerted him to the fact that Hakuba had now taken an acute interest in him. A glance up confirmed the steely eyes boring holes in his direction, and once met by Kaito's, they narrowed into suspicious slits.

"If I find out the Kaitou Kid has begun assaulting people, infringing upon their chastity, or any other such dubious offense, he will have yet another string of charges presented to him in court as soon as I capture him."

Kaito pasted a look of bland indifference over his features. "Hakuba, exactly what does that have to do with anything? I sincerely doubt Kid-sama would do anything like _assault_ people. Last I checked, he's a gentleman thief, remember?" Right. Tantei-kun had molested him first, after all. It was a defensive measure. Purely a strategic move.

Of _course_ he did not want to hurt Tantei-kun in any way - just dole out some divine retribution. He would restrict the embarrassment to moments when they were alone. He was a gentleman after all, even when handing out revenge. He might be petulant and a little immature, sure, but he knew how to be polite when it counted. And, it had absolutely _nothing_ to do with the fact he did not want to advertise Tantei-kun's affections to anyone else. This was their little secret. He just wanted to give Tantei-kun a little payback for catching him unawares, is all.

"Considering Kid's track record, I suspect any research you are conducting will inevitably lead to nothing good."

"Again with your accusations. It's a bit tiresome." Kaito sighed. Things were getting off track. This was _not_ supposed to be so difficult! Hakuba was a pain, and sharp in all the wrong ways. At least Tantei-kun was not as anal-retentive and narrow-minded - he had a much more playful kind of attitude that Kaito had grown to like. He was hoping to bank a bit on Hakuba's ability to jump logical fences, much like himself, but it appeared he got a bit tangled up in his obnoxious obsession with pinning Kaito down as Kid, and got lost halfway. Somehow, he felt his hopes for a satisfactory answer slipping away.

"I'm going to have to agree. He's an idiot," and with this, Aoko shot him a scathing stare, before turning back to Hakuba. Kaito wilted a bit under her glare, giving himself another internal sigh. "So there's no way he could be Kid. But you are right in that there's nothing good about that thief. If he _does_ begin assaulting people, I'll start standing guard in the crowds with my mop!"

Kaito made a mental note of that proclamation, and flagged it with a bright red mental marker. He would definitely be keeping an eye out for her in future heists. He would need to devise a unique Kid method to disable the weapon, should she ever have the opportunity to use it. There was always the option of switching it out for a far less lethal bouquet of flowers.

"Kid-sama is a showman. He's too professional to do anything like that. He seems to have more manners than that father of yours." Kaito bit the inside of his cheek, willing the testiness away. Instead he shot her a cheeky grin.

"If by 'professional', you mean in the sense of 'delinquent', then I might agree with you. His version of being a gentleman is, at best, an image of pretentiousness and ostentation." The last bit was spoken with a faint sneer, and Hakuba swished his hair fringe back in that infuriatingly familiar display of his own self-importance. Kaito had to pause for a moment to wonder if he was talking about himself or Kaitou Kid.

Really, the two of them were practically like oil and water. If he pulled the stick a little bit out from between those tightly squeezed cheeks, they might be able to get along. He supposed his night job would always be a hindrance to any possible friendship they might have. Things were always okay until the topic of Kaitou Kid came up, and with no small amount of irritation, Hakuba seemed to revel in bringing it up.

"I hardly believe for one minute that Kaitou Kid is a _gentleman_," Aoko huffed in irritation, winding up for a winded tirade worthy of her father's on any day. "He's nothing but a dirty thief, who mocks the police any chance he gets! I swear, if he even _thinks_ about accosting any of the poor guys, he'll have me to deal with!"

Both boys took a head dive at that, with Hakuba narrowly missing his desk. Much to Kaito's annoyance, she had never revised her opinion that the Kaitou Kid was gay. While immensely grateful to Akako for impersonating him to get Hakuba off his back, she left an embarrassing mar on his nighttime reputation. He really did not care what people thought about himself, but he did not appreciate the inference about his father.

Kid's persona was something he had inherited, and was not too keen on doing anything to sully his predecessor's image. This was one of the main reasons he was so adamant about protecting his Poker Face legacy. Everything about his father was special, and he dearly wanted to protect it. Even when it came down to something as juvenile as Kaitou Kid's presumed sexual preference. Thankfully, it seemed that Aoko was the only one who held onto that belief.

"Aoko, he would never do that!" On second thought, Tantei-kun might also be under the impression. But, well, that worked in his favor, so he could overlook that.

"… I am, for once, inclined to agree with Kuroba-kun. He has shown no such predilection, despite his flamboyance." Hakuba's voice was once more strained, as if the effort to agree with Kaito took much more energy than usual. Kaito imagined the topic itself was also probably difficult for him, judging from his earlier terse reaction. Must be a British thing.

"I wouldn't be so sure. All boys are perverts." The voice was peppy, and entirely too happy-sounding for the statement itself. To Kaito, though, it sounded like it was ringed with choruses of hallelujahs, as he was finally no longer outnumbered by anti-Kid activists. Keiko smiled mildly at the trio, content with her proclamation. "My dad makes sure to remind me of this at least once every week."

The three stared at her, her words ringing in the air as silence overcame them all. And then, a multitude of things happened. Kaito was trying his hardest to stifle the laugh bubbling up in his chest. He could see Hakuba's face contorting into a variety of expressions, before settling on one Kaito guessed was indignation at the thought of being lumped together with the Kid for anything so scandalous. Aoko was wavering between two things he could not quite place. It was Hakuba who finally cleared his throat and spoke up.

"Momoi-san, not every one of us is perverted." Kaito was beginning to fail his battle with the impending laugh. To hear such words uttered from the prim and proper Hakuba Saguru was amusing in itself. The insult to his dignity must have been unbearable, and for a moment, he thought it served him right for being so damned straight-laced. To see the consternation on his face was another drop in the bucket.

She smiled sweetly. "He also told me to never believe a boy when they say they aren't." Hakuba's face paled at her serene gaze, and that was the last straw. Kaito keeled over, hugging his stomach as laughter shook him. Gods help him, the answer he was looking for came from the _least_ expected of places, just as he'd given up hope for finding it. In his mirth, he gave a distant thanks to the shining pillar of wisdom known as Keiko's father.

He was sure there were other bits of pertinent conversation somewhere in the aftermath of the debacle, but couldn't bring himself to pay attention, lost in his fit of giggles. This was a golden moment, something he did not want to let go of too quickly. More importantly, though, was the key bit of information he'd been hoping to confirm all day.

Namely, that boys were all absolute perverts. He could live with that. So, he had nothing to feel guilty about, and it was all a perfectly natural reaction. This made things a little easier for him, for the next time he met up with Tantei-kun. His own unbidden responses aside, Tantei-kun was a boy too. He could be taken by surprise just as well, and he knew now to just ignore that strange little fluttering feeling, no matter how insistent it became. A feral grin grew over his face. He really wanted to test this out, because there was one more important little bit of information.

Tantei-kun _liked_ him. This was far too interesting to ignore.

* * *

><p>Kid <em>liked<em> him. That wasn't funny at all, and he wanted to ignore it.

Conan let his head drape on the coffee table, the side of his glasses biting into the flesh of his temple, and surely leaving a mark. The glitter of sunlight stained the space around him, as the afternoon angle gave access to Agasa-hakase's living room through the odd, cylindrical skylight adorning the majority of his roof. It cast an abstract, focused pattern of light through the lenses, splaying across the surface by Conan's eyes, and he found himself staring at it.

Occupying his mind was the all-consuming thought that he was Not Ready to go back to the Mouri Detective Agency. His brain needed a serious break from _everything_. So far, he'd been able to avoid thinking about _that_ incident, while he enjoyed Hattori's company, but for some reason, hanging around Ran was causing memories to flitter up from the shadowy corners of his brain. He kept seeing flashes of Kid's arms around her, every time he caught her eyes, which in turn gave rise to _other_ memories.

And so, in an effort to continue his mind-numbing exercise of "think Not of it", upon their return to Beika, he'd elected to stay the remainder of their short break at Hakase's place, with the excuse he was promised to play another new "game" he had invented. Mildly, Conan wondered how much longer that thin excuse would last with how often it was employed.

A shadow of dusty maroon flashed in front of his eyes, and he knew that he was now the subject of Haibara's attention. "You don't look well."

_Oh, what an astute observation._ Blue eyes slanted up and over to look at her in the face. "Kid." As if the one word could explain everything. A single eyebrow rose in a curious arch, and her lips quirked.

"Concerning his latest heist, things turned out well in the end. Even if Kid did manage to get away. Again." The slight curve of her lips caused all of Conan's hackles to bristle in self-defense.

"I had other problems to deal with."

After depositing the steaming mug near his head, she turned, making her way over and hopping onto the nearby couch. A matching mug was gripped in her fingers, and she watched the liquid inside swirl as she rolled it between her palms in slow, methodical movements. "A lethal bacteria, the revived Red Siamese Cats, a hostage situation, and an elaborate thieving operation in Nara." The mug pulled up to her lips, and she took a small sip, eyes closing to savor the taste. "Not to mention the bombs, and flying out the window without a parachute."

He pulled himself up and plastered his fingers around the offered drink. "Like I said, I had other problems to deal with."

"Kid was the one to rescue you. Is that why you let him go?"

Conan choked and shot her an irritated look that border-lined on scandalized. He was a detective - he did not just _let_ criminals run free! Well, there was that one time, but he saved Genta's life, so it was fair. Relatively. "What makes you think I _let_ him go?"

Haibara opened her eyes and regarded him in thoughtful silence. She finally turned her attention back to her mug. "You really haven't noticed, have you?"

"Noticed what?" Blue eyes darkened at the jab to his observational skills.

Was that his imagination? He could have sworn he saw the edge of a smirk hinting around the curve of the cup. "More often lately, you have allowed Kid to escape without trying to capture him. Though why you give him special treatment as opposed to other criminals, I'm not sure. Is it because he's a thief and not a murderer, I wonder?"

That couldn't be right. Frowning, he paused to consider all of his past interactions with Kid.

**Clock tower heist, tried to capture him - first encounter, Kid implicated the true culprit  
><strong>**Black Star heist, tried to capture him - first encounter as Conan, Kid impersonated Ran  
><strong>_Magic Lover's case, let him go - Kid treated his illness  
><em>**Faberge egg heist, tried to capture him - Kid discovered Conan's true identity  
><strong>_Post-Faberge egg heist, let him go - Kid did him a favor by posing as Shin'ichi  
><em>**Sunset Mansion case, **_planned_** to capture him,** but had no chance** - Kid impersonated Occhan  
><strong>**Mid-air walk heist, tried to capture him - Kid impersonated Jirokichi-ojisan  
><strong>_Eccentric mansion case, let him go - Kid protected the kids and saved Genta  
><em>**4 Paintings case, tried to capture him - Kid impersonated Takagi-keiji  
><strong>**Teleportation heist, tried to capture him - Kid gave Conan a direct challenge  
><strong>**Star Sapphire heist, tried to capture him - Kid impersonated Shin'ichi  
><strong>_Post-Star Sapphire heist, let him go - Kid helped land airplane  
><em>_Iron Tanuki heist, let him go - Kid saved Lupin the dog  
><em>**Kirin Horn heist, tried to capture him - Kid stun-gunned Conan  
><strong>_Trap Island heist, let him go - Kid protected the kids  
><em>_Ryouma return "heist", let him go - Kid exposed the fraud  
><em>_Lady Sky heist, let him go - Kid saved his life  
><em>_Post-Lady Sky heist, … Conan refused to think about it_

Groaning, he let his head fall back to the table. Why did she have to be right? Moreover, it looked like his trend was moving more rapidly towards leniency than he would have imagined. If he did not ramp up his efforts soon, his reputation might suffer. "I'm not cutting him slack or anything."

Her only reply was to sip quietly at her mug.

More importantly, he wanted to know how closely she kept tabs on his cases. Haibara had only been to a handful of Kid's heists, and as far as he knew, she should only be aware of his acquiescence to let him fly away once. Sure, he talked about cases and heists after the fact, but he never outright said he ever let the Kid go. At least, he didn't remember ever saying anything like that.

He had tactfully decided to keep the fact Kid knew of his true identity a secret, though, to keep from agitating her already sizeable paranoia. The thought of Kid probably caused a good deal of stress for her, seeing that, inevitably, Conan's picture would boldly flash across the news as the famous "Kid Killer", drawing conspicuous attention to his shrunken persona.

And this latest development? He was firmly going to keep his lips sealed.

"But you do give him special treatment."

"I do not." He did. He knew he did. He just couldn't bring himself to really think of him as a _bad guy_. Was he allowing his judgment to become cloudy? He wasn't giving their anomalous… friendship precedence over his duties to bring down the hammer of justice, was he? His conscience squirmed into a nasty ball at the pit of his stomach.

Once more, that eyebrow arched at him, surely due to his clipped retort. If that hadn't sounded childish, he didn't know what did. And he made a whole production of the child act. He was intimately aware of that fact.

"I was not sure about it before, but judging by your distress, somehow, I believe you are causing your own problems, Kudou-kun. If it weighs so heavily on you, do what you always do, and take it head on, without reservation. Considering this is Kaitou Kid we're talking about, I doubt you will find yourself killed for your usual reckless behavior." Another slow, savoring sip at her mug.

He raised his head and looked at her as if she'd grown another head. And a few extra ears, or eyes, or some other absurd mutation of the human body that he figured, even with her frightening pharmaceutical knowledge, was quite impossible. Leave it to Haibara to not only insult him in the same derisive breath, but provide sound advice.

He huffed and let his chin rest back on the table. Quietly, he parroted her words, more to himself than to anyone in particular. "Take it head on." Conan could do that, even without her prompting, though he'd hoped to put it off for a little longer.

Kid, the _Kaitou Kid_ liked him, a _detective_. Could he accept that? It felt strange and uncomfortable, to have such a close and private emotion rudely invading his mental image of the Kid. It rocked everything he knew down to the core. More than that, it forced him to re-evaluate his perceptions, and all his previous interactions. Kid was no longer a mere criminal, no longer a nuisance, no longer the exciting challenge, he was _human_ and _personal_. His chest clenched at the thought. With that, he knew his balance was completely thrown.

Could he face down that same smirking face, chase as fervently, as ruthlessly? If he finally managed to grab that white shadow in his fingers, what then? His chest clenched into a tight vise again. He would hold everything, _everything_ about Kid in his hands. Body, freedom, heart, trust, future, even the mysterious mission he was sure Kid was following, one Conan wasn't entirely sure he wanted to get himself mixed into, because if it was giving Kid that much trouble, then it had to be _Trouble_.

He allowed his eyes to slide closed, even as his brow furrowed in thought. Never did he want to be in this kind of a situation. As a detective, he was not supposed to ever have any kind of sympathies for the ones he struggled to bring to justice. It was entirely about exposing the truth, and any fallout after that was the consequences culprits had to pay for their actions. He did not like being a part of those consequences. It felt far too much like _betrayal_. It was a bitter taste he did not want to partake of anytime again soon. It was heartbreaking to be the cause for one of his soccer idols to be arrested, even worse to convince said foreigner to give himself up. Cases that became personal had a sharp and painful tang to it that he found difficult to swallow. And there Kid was, wiggling his way in like nobody's business.

It was bad enough he was fully conscious that the moment he captured Kid, he would be disappointed that their game of cat and mouse was over. But that was rival-speak talking there. Not regret at locking away a friend, or anything. Not that they were friends. Not really. So damn it, why did he feel so terrible at the thought?

Kid had a tremendous penchant for mischief, and causing problems. He wasn't even in his presence, and he was creating havoc. Damn thief.

Conan had tried a few times before to profile Kid, finding the endeavor a true exercise in futility. This circumstance only fortified his opinion on the matter. What in the world was Kid thinking, developing an interest in a detective? Total insanity! He desperately wanted to understand. And, acerbically, he noted that if it was among his intentions to get personal, he had fully succeeded in that venture.

He couldn't even tell if Kid was being absolutely serious, or not. Not that he'd heard any reports about other people getting _k-kissed_. Okay, no, he had to be serious in some respect, because while Kid was many things, he had a strange code of honor. And he did treat him differently from the other authority figures; almost like an equal - something Conan took untold appreciation in, especially given his current stature.

As far as he could tell, Kid had to be close to his own age, so the sense of "equal" really did seem appropriate - they were peers, in a way. During the eccentric mansion case, he seemed awfully attentive towards Conan, seeming to almost ignore the others as soon as he donned his cape and monocle, his focus narrowed down and pointedly on him alone. He thought it a little strange at the time for the theatric Kid, if a little pleasant to be considered above the rest. Originally, he thought it might have been because he was considered the greatest threat. It made more sense now, all things considered.

A series of clunks and the sound of shuffling filtered through his hazy thoughts, causing Conan to slit his eyes open. The room had grown a tawny orange color, courtesy of the setting sun. Where had the time gone? His head lifted, giving rise to a small crick in his neck, and his temple ached from the press of his glasses. He rubbed at the indention idly. Somewhere during his thoughts Haibara had disappeared, and slowly he realized he must have dozed off. A quick glance to his watch proved his theory correct.

He sighed as he stood, pausing for a lengthy stretch. The cup he'd emptied earlier still sat on the coffee table, so he swooped it up, and meandered his way to the kitchen.

"Have a good think?"

Conan was a bit surprised to find Haibara loitering in the kitchen, instead of sequestered in her makeshift laboratory downstairs. The spread of foodstuffs across the counter explained why. A faint nod answered her question, before he spoke. "I dozed off for a bit." It was a little bit of a guilty admission. Normally he did not fall asleep in the middle of conversations. The fact they had reached a lull did not really matter that much.

"I gathered as such, when your mouth began to gape open." He shot her a deadpan, which she openly ignored. "Well?"

His house slippers scuffed against the tile floor on his way to the sink, and on pointed toes, he deposited his mug there. "More or less. The cause of problems is less important than the solution to them." He paused for a thoughtful moment, before continuing. "Even if they sometimes seem to be the same thing." Turning, he gave that familiar boyish grin, all promises and determination. It was a look that hinted at a strategy he was just itching to try.

"Seems your chance is soon, then. The news just announced it about half an hour ago."

"Announced what?" Curiously, he blinked her way.

"The next Kid heist."


	4. Preen

_A/N: *blink* This one was (mostly) quick, but uh, oddly jarring. Tried smoothing it out, but ehn. I still stand by my "perfunctory" excuse, even if the boys are viciously fighting me about it._

_And boys? The more you struggle, the more torment you're getting, so quittit! *pointedly eyes Kid*_

* * *

><p>Not all heists were alike. Of course, each one was <em>different<em> in that they had different audiences, different goals, and different locations, but to be more precise, for Kid, each one had a different _feeling_. Sometimes they were simple and joyful. Sometimes, they were challenging. Other times, they were a downright pain in the ass. Once in a blue moon (thankfully), they were painful and raw. He identified his own performances less by the actual gem he took, and more by the sensation, or mood he associated with it. Or, once in a while, by a particularly extravagant magic trick he succeeded in pulling off.

This time was inducing a distinct kind of giddiness in his gut that increased several times over when he realized a certain tiny detective had taken his invitation. Heists with Tantei-kun present always had the same flavor, albeit with varying intensities. When he saw him walk into the room, he had to restrain the Kid smirk from carving itself all over his features. He _really_ wanted to play and toss verbal witticisms at Tantei-kun to rile him up, but the best things came to those who waited, and he had important business to attend to in the mean time. Work before play, as they say.

Namely, Poker Face. Tantei-kun had an almost inhuman sensitivity to his presence, tensing every time he looked at him for too long, and shooting nervous glances around the room with scrutinizing and piercing eyes that belied his apparent age. Kid himself could feel the prickling burn of that far-too keen gaze, even in casual passing. It was mildly baffling that no one else seemed to notice. Was everyone just that daft? Well, he was fine with that. A key point about magic, as Pratchett well put it, is that it merely consisted of knowing one extra fact. Holding the cards close to his chest was just what he did. The less perceptive the audience was, all the easier. It made his performances that much more _magical_.

Tantei-kun was a special case that merited special attention. He was fun in his own way, and Kid was fine with that challenge. For him, it was less a magic show, and more a battle of wits. The rules of engagement between them were separate and unique. Not so much about deception, it was more about adaptation and quick thinking. Or extensive planning, which Kid also took liberal advantage of.

As usual, Nakamori-keibu was in high spirits, barking orders with the vigor and precision of someone used to the frenzy and chaos of Kid's productions. He had placed extra surveillance and spotlights on the roof, probably anticipating him to arrive and/or depart by air. Kid wondered why, because more often than not, he managed to smuggle his way in with a disguise, despite the cheek-pinching protocol.

The old man was sharp, but could only be described as running by the book. He had intense energy, but was entirely too predictable. Kid would never come by air without a lovely audience outside to greet him! And with this estate so far out in the woods, it just made common sense. He almost let a wry smile peek out from under his mask. Then again, common sense was never to be taken for granted when it came to the Heisei Lupin.

As for leaving, that was on a case-by-case basis. He never left himself with less than a dozen different possible escape routes. While leaving on his glider was preferred, being the quickest and most trademark of methods, if the risk was too great, he would slip away into the crowds. Tonight was still a toss-up, and open to any number of variables, especially with Tantei-kun influencing the movements of the police. Professionally, he was banking on Nakamori-keibu's hardheadedness to win the day. Personally, he always loved going toe-to-toe with Tantei-kun. It would be interesting to see how things panned out.

But, getting back to business. The owner had recently come into possession of a fascinating Egyptian artifact, a scarab emblazoned with a giant ruby that took up the majority of the insect's body. Complete with folding gold wings, it was a very intricate amulet, and with a rich history involving undead pharaohs, it was an ideal target for the Kaitou Kid. Currently, it was resting in a place of honor amongst a display of other historical prizes, including an authentic mummy. He'd wanted to resurrect the dead for this heist at first, but ultimately decided that lacked class. He had something a little more special in mind.

Kid shyly tittered over the shoulder of the owner, responding to a joke that he personally felt was not amusing at all. With a coy air, he flipped a lock of stray hair over his shoulder, baring it to the world. And as expected, it drew more than a few furtive glances from a number of the task force members, as well as from the now famous Mouri Kogorou. Well, it was more a blatant leer.

Sleeping Kogorou. He didn't know which was worse - pretending to be the man, or being in his presence as a highly attractive young woman. It was compounded by the fact that he really had very little makeup on, meaning his face was relatively bare. Mouri was off-putting in many, many ways, and it made Kid's stomach churn unpleasantly. At this point, he couldn't tell if it was good luck or not to have a strong resemblance to the owner's daughter. It easily got him past the cheek-pinch test, anyway.

"Hey daddy, who is that little kid? Are you sure it's okay for him to be here?" He laid his accent on thick, breaking his Japanese and stressing at odd intervals. A perfect representation of a foreigner trying to speak the language.

The owner craned his neck, peering around the disguised Kid, and pulling him closer in the process with a chubby hand on his hip. "Oh, I haven't introduced you yet, have I?" He suppressed a shudder, and smiled sweetly at his "father". And this would be another reason he was having misgivings about the resemblance to the daughter. "His guardian is an important guest. He'll be delighted to meet you." Another tug on his hip, and Kid followed, the two of them making their way over.

Kid allowed himself to stare curiously at Tantei-kun when they got close. He shifted uncomfortably, and focused on the owner instead as he spoke. For now, Kid was amused he could use the unscrupulous manner of a foreigner to make him nervous. Even if the same behavior from his "father" seemed borderline molestation. The owner was way too forward to be normal.

"Mouri-san! I'm so happy you could make it. I'd like to introduce you to my daughter here. She was born in Japan, but raised overseas. As soon as she heard that Kaitou Kid sent a notice to me, she immediately flew home. She's a big Kid fan, you see." The owner gave a chortle. A squeeze of the hip, and the hand wandered to the middle of his back.

Kid wrenched his eyes away and smiled demurely at Mouri, even giving a tiny Western-style curtsy, hoping the movement might shrug off the hand which had been on his person in some manner or another all evening. "Yamane Michiru. It's a pleasure to meet you." Tantei-kun gave him an odd look when he spoke, and for a moment, he had to concentrate on keeping his breathing even. Poker Face, Poker Face.

"Mouri Kogorou." When Kid's eyes wandered to the girl next to him with an expectant look, he continued. "This is my daughter, Ran. The freeloading runt is Edogawa Conan." The last bit was spoken with familiar disdain, and he could see the irritation flash through Tantei-kun's eyes before they widened back into childish wonder. Ran shoved a discreet elbow into her father's ribs, eliciting a short coughing fit. She turned apologetic eyes towards Kid, and he smiled in return.

After giving her a polite nod, he leaned down, giving Tantei-kun a generous eyeful of the cleavage he labored over, confident in their authentic appearance. For the first time all evening, he was _finally_ able to escape from that invasive hand. Smiling, he shifted a bit, giving his body additions a calculated sway. He was rewarded with a faint pink dusting on Tantei-kun's nose. "Hello there, Conan-kun. Since you're here, you must want to meet Kid, yes?"

Blue eyes wandered around restlessly, before finally settling on a point somewhere between his lips and eyes. "Uhn!" Saccharine sweet, and absolutely false. Tantei-kun was _good_ at the little kid act. He could hear the owner and Mouri striking up a conversation in his peripheral. That was fine, he much rather preferred this company, masked or not.

"Do you like Kid, too?" Kid deliberately placed an odd stress on the words to draw attention to them, taking full advantage of his foreigner disguise. A blink, and Kid could see the words sink in, then pink rose on his cheeks again. Kid almost bit his lip trying to withhold the grin. Oh, Tantei-kun. He was just _too_ much fun to tease!

Tantei-kun licked his lips in an all too familiar nervous gesture, and for a moment, Kid was mesmerized by that flash of pink. _Insistent flickering, murmurs that vibrated down his throat, ghosting fingers-_ Quickly, he shoved the memories to the back of his mind, forcing himself to focus on the reply. _Normal reaction. I'm a boy. All boys are perverts. Poker Face, Poker Face._ "He's lots of fun! I really want to capture him!"

"Oh? A little boy like you? What do you plan to do when you have him?"

His face grew serious, one Kid recognized as a distinctly _Kudou Shin'ichi_ expression, and he looked to be carefully considering his response. His mouth opened to give it when Ran's hand rested on his shoulder, giving him a start. Glancing over, Kid found her fondly smiling at Tantei-kun. He wanted to frown, mildly annoyed their conversation had been interrupted. "Conan-kun is very bright. He might be just a child, but he's actually managed to stop Kid in the past." Kid was well aware of that - more so than she was, and he did not need her to tell him that. Tantei-kun ducked his head and pursed his lips under the praise. Pink was blooming on his cheeks again.

Hmm.

Kid swallowed his irritation, straightened, and smiled at her. He'd really wanted to know what Tantei-kun was about to say. But, he supposed, the night was still young, and he was probably getting ahead of himself. He could always bring the subject back up later, and under circumstances where he could get a mostly uncensored reply. "That's amazing!" He glanced back down at Tantei-kun, who was putting on a noteworthy performance of a bashful little kid. "I bet Kid is impressed, too."

A noisy chortle broke through their chatter, and drew his attention back to the owner, who was beckoning him over. Reluctantly, he settled back against that insufferable _hand_, and after a few more polite nods, jokes, and smiles, allowed himself to be led away.

Conversations aside, he had to concentrate on keeping his attention _off_ Tantei-kun. Ever since he wandered away, he could feel that burning gaze following him. At first, he thought he may have slipped up his disguise and was discovered, but the one time he chanced a peek, he was giving Kid an odd, considering look before realizing himself, and averting his eyes. It was distracting, to say the least. Kid really did not know what to make of it.

So instead of dwelling or fretting about it, Kid poured all his focus into his work, and carried off the swipe without a hitch. The heartfelt squeal of terror he gave when the amulet just _happened_ to spring to life and flew around the room was one of his better ones, he had to admit. He was so focused, in fact, that when he began his dance with the police, he didn't even notice Tantei-kun had disappeared.

When he finally realized things were amiss, Kid took his task force entourage on a merry little tour through the mansion, in search of him. Were it not for the trademark grin plastered on his face, he would have frowned.

He twisted his way through and around the grasping hands of the police, inspecting every room in the building. He'd even elicited a few indignant squeaks from the ladies' room, before resuming his search. Around half an hour later, he'd thoroughly scoured the place, and turned up empty-handed. His police dodging was proving easy, as well. That invisible pressure was not seeping from behind the scenes, and it felt like a normal heist _sans_ Tantei-kun. At that point, he was beginning to get a bit worried.

What had happened to his favorite critic?

* * *

><p>A light mist in the air cast an unseasonable chill and a shining sheen over everything in its path. As the night progressed, it formed further into a thin fog, and rolled around in uneven patches, like errant wisps from an open freezer. The coolness bleeding through the windows was welcome to the task force as they ran in fierce circles, trying to catch an elusive shadow that mockingly laughed at their futile attempts. Everyone was caught up in a chaotic dance, moving around in what could only be described as a veritable <em>game<em> of cops and robbers. Going against the hoarsely snarled orders of Nakamori-keibu, one unofficial member stood shivering, biting off un-pleasantries in his mind at the invading droplets, lying in wait.

Of course, he'd been inside at the beginning. Carefully, he watched the object of tonight's heist, until it was whisked away by those pale gloved fingers. After that, rather than following the directions that Nakamori-keibu yelled out, he snuck away from Ran's watchful gaze and took his own path, winding up to where he knew the best place for escape would be. The roof was guarded like a hawk this evening, so his current location was not there. No, right now, he found himself curled into a little crouch, arms wrapped around his knees in a vain effort to ward off the moist chill, eyes peeled on the cracked door to the fourth floor balcony, and patiently waiting for Kid to make his appearance. He felt guilty, running off from Ran like that, but this was _Kid_. As much as he could help it, he wanted to keep the two separated.

The stone-carved railing wrapped around a large patio, twin stairs curving off the edges, and melting into the gardenscape below with pompous flair. To Conan, it felt more like a giant stair landing than a balcony, but the wealthy could be as eccentric with their architecture as they wanted. It was one of the main entrances into the green labyrinth of well-manicured hedges the owner kept around their estate. It also provided an amazing overhead view of the garden and balconies below. Not that he cared too much to look. His focus was entirely on the cracked door and trying to maintain his body heat. The stone pressing around his hiding spot did little to help, leeching the heat from him with merciless tenacity, yet still he did not move. If Kid was going to take flight, this was the best place to do so.

A growing ruckus prickled his senses, and he could feel a faint vibration as the ground trembled under the feet of an oncoming storm of task force members. He tensed his arms in anticipation, and a grin grew, almost of its own volition. The thief was coming. Kid was coming. Any second now, and that infuriating _equal_ of his would be there.

With the sleek motion of a feline, white soared through the doorway, barely making a noise. Conan curled his cold-stiffened fingers around his watch, aiming at the moving target even as he did so. The element of surprise had a very short window, so it was now or never. His finger twitched, and the sedative-laced dart went flying. Conan frowned as the dart fell off course, bouncing off a shoulder knob with a faint _ping!_ and burying itself into the thick folds of a white cape. A mental growl rippled through him, and he reminded himself that he was always better with his feet than with his hands, especially now that they were turning an interesting shade of blue.

Kid's eyes flickered towards him, lighting up in recognition, then his smirk only grew. "Yo, Tantei-kun." The tension was palpable, and he was as taut as a newly strung bow. Conan could tell Kid was in flight-mode, and ready to flee at a moment's notice - leaned forward, weight deftly balanced on the balls of his feet, gaze wide and open to movement in his peripheral. By the sounds growing through the doorway, the other policemen would be there shortly. He almost did not like it, the lack of singular, focused attention.

Kid tilted his head and spoke in a distinct taunt, light and accusatory. "I was looking for you." Conan replied with a cocky smirk. The damn thief's eyes were laughing at him. _Laughing!_ And he would be gone soon - he would snap open that glider of his and run. No, too soon, he still had to-

"_Kid!_" Conan growled out his name, as if the mere force of it could stop him from fleeing. One hand flexed into a fist, blindly grasping for an invisible, imaginary hold, anything to keep Kid there.

He raised his chin slightly, lips curling even further, enunciating the word. "_Meitantei_." Falling forward from the balls of his feet, he bolted past, casting Conan one more sideways glance, and vaulted himself over the railing. Instead of taking to the sky, Kid fell down, out of view. Panic passed through him, and even as the first of the task force members burst through the doorway, he rushed forward and focused only on the white form waving jauntily at him from the balcony below.

He hissed Kid's name again, and tore over the patio, racing for the stairs. A half-beat and a few piercing shouts later, and he could _feel_ the task force following shortly behind him. It was too many people. Too many distractions - they were in the way. Conan's mood soured, mixing in with the black mass of the officers as they surged down the stairs. Kid could so easily mix into the fray, disguise himself, blend into the crowd. He wanted to be one-on-one. He did not want to deal with the extras. Not right now. Not when he still-

The trailing edge of his cape could just be seen as Kid fled, prancing his way into the garden, as the black mass spilled out over the lower balcony. Like uncontrolled flood waters, the police ricocheted off the railings, and continued their mad dash down the stairs, Conan helplessly in tow. He likened it to drowning, almost. Conan was being dragged along, whether he was willing or not. Struggling against the officers, he was barely able to gain a foothold when they finally reached the looming arches leading further into the maze.

Without hesitation, he continued forward. Kid had foregone his opportunity to take flight for some reason or another, so there had to be a purpose for leading them into the garden. While he hated dancing to Kid's tune, he had no choice at the moment. There might still be a chance to catch Kid off guard, and Conan was never one to give up without a fight. Not when he still had so many burning questions in his mind.

The task force ran around him like a small stampede, Conan's short legs not doing much to keep up. More than once in the past he'd realized this problem; he'd traded youthful fervor and energy for a distressingly short stride. Many times he wondered if it was really a fair tradeoff. While his shorter vantage point often had its perks, tonight was proving to be disadvantageous. He eyed the tall hedges ruefully, wondering if he should try worming his way through the tangled roots instead of navigating the green maze. A glance at the tightly knit branches at the base discouraged the thought, and Conan heaved a mental sigh.

What was with the filthy rich and their ridiculous penchant for eccentric décor? While the interior was not so bad, the garden ringing around the estate was on par with something out of a royal castle. Twisting and convoluted, pockmarked with an assortment of courtyards populated by fountains, statues, stone benches, and floral displays, it was an impressive labyrinth, and probably beautiful on any normal day. It was nothing short of a nuisance at the moment. Conan felt a momentary pity for the gardeners who had to take care of the whole thing. He imagined that more than one probably got lost with distressing regularity.

Around a few more bends, and Conan slowed to a stop in one of the numerous small open courtyards littered throughout the garden. He paused with his hands on his knees, taking the moment to even his breathing, before he stood straight, shoving them reflexively into his pockets. While not as cold as on the balcony, the residual chill still nipped at his fingers. The sounds of the task force forging ahead met his ears, their body gear rustling and orders being called between each other in short, clipped hollers. His lips frowned in an aborted tsking motion out of frustration. He craned his neck over to the statues at his right, narrowing his eyes. "Seriously? I mean, _seriously_? Kid, did you _really_ just try to fool everyone with such an old trick? We aren't in the movies, you know."

A shadow moved in the nearby patch of stone statues, and one of the stony gray figures grinned a familiar, jarring smile. "I wouldn't say 'try', Tantei-kun, I _did_. Though, I must say, I'm not surprised you managed to notice. How'd you figure it out?" The statue pulled itself upright, out of its mimed pose, and with a swish, Kid was once more dressed in his usual regalia.

"All the other statues in the garden are covered in moisture, whereas you are relatively dry. Even if you had tried to cover yourself in water, it's very difficult to mimic the shimmering effect of condensation from a mist. Moreover, you aren't exactly Adonis material. Not tall enough." Conan's smirk held firm, the snark in his retort clear as day. He was trying his best to not think about how exactly Kid had managed to disguise himself as a completely _naked_ Greek statue. More fervently, he was trying to ignore the strangely _organic_ movement of his body, before the white swatch of his Kid uniform had replaced the stony gray. _No way, even he wouldn't_-

He hummed lightly in reply. "I'm far more suited to be Cupid, I think. I even have the wings to match." His eyes twinkled in unrestrained amusement, and his voice lowered into something Conan could only describe as a purr. Quiet, and almost indiscernible, surely so the nearby task force would not hear. His narrow focus had returned, and was pinned heavily on Conan, much like a physical pressure. It was familiar and thrilling. "But it's still too early to show you my face, dear Psyche, no matter what your detective friends might say."

Conan choked. And before he could voice his dissent at the implication, Kid scattered away in an explosion of butterflies. For a moment, he stood transfixed, watching the display, as they flittered in and out in a beautiful, writhing splash of color. He breathed in the cool mist, tasting the unmistakable scent of rain in the back of his throat, and looked on as the colors blurred and danced in the foggy air, each one gaining something like a silver halo, as the police search lights reflected and re-reflected off the suspended droplets. It was really a thing of beauty.

There were so many different ways to read into his words. According to myth, Psyche scared her husband Cupid away as soon as she went against his warning and discovered his identity (by the urging of her two jealous sisters), becoming accidentally ensnared by his love spell in the process. It resulted in her becoming obligated to fulfill numerous, arduous tasks just to find him again - amongst other things, traveling to the underworld and falling into a trap of eternal sleep that Cupid had to release her from. It was a story of trust, betrayal, and forgiveness.

The implication he ultimately decided to take was plain. That if Conan found his true identity, he would probably find himself mixed into whatever strange mission he was undertaking. In a way, it was a warning to stay out of Kid's business. Hadn't he once said catching him was like opening Pandora's box? He frowned. Kid was definitely hiding something. After all this time, Kid should well know it was his _raison d'être_ to discover the truth, regardless of circumstance. If Kid was trying to protect Conan, he was doing poorly, enticing him with such cryptic messages. If anything, he was drawing him even closer. If he would just ask- _nonono, he's a criminal, and I must capture him!_

He shook his head and finally muttered under his breath. "We aren't married."

Color flashed in front of him, and he finally noticed the butterflies from before were not real, but made of paper. Several of them lay innocuously on the ground, soaking themselves to transparency. Blinking, he noted they must be made of rice paper. He leaned down, and picked one up, confirming his guess as it disintegrated into a sticky mess between his fingers. Given tonight's weather conditions, they wouldn't last more than a few minutes before dissolving completely. It was a remarkably eco-friendly choice, he realized with a bit of relief. The gardens, as much of a nuisance as they were at the moment, truly were beautiful.

It was then he noticed the trail of color, leading back the way he had come. His mouth opened to call out to the nearest task force member to alert them, but before voicing anything, snapped his mouth shut and pursed his lips. It was an ephemeral trail, and on purpose. Kid would never make such a dull mistake - clearly, he was presenting him a personal invite. His features twisted into a deadpan. _Butterflies are symbolic of Psyche, how obvious can you be, Kid?_

Well, it wouldn't hurt to follow it for a little while. With no other people around to give Kid a chance to escape, it was a good opportunity. His lips curled, and he set off running, this time to only the beat of his own feet.

* * *

><p>For most criminals, the police breathing down their back was incredibly stressful, and enough to warrant secrecy, and the attempt to commit crimes a healthy distance from authorities. Having them actually chase you was enough to completely dishearten many, and as a result, a good deal of them gave up before taking so much as a single step. For the more brazen, it incited energetic or ingenious methods of escape with the intention of a quick and efficient road to relative safety. And then, for those who were truly driven, or just plain crazy, it felt like how Kid did at this very moment.<p>

The tapping of shoes behind him only drew a smile on his face. Light and quick, one person alone, and there was no doubt in his mind that it was Tantei-kun on his heels, having forgone the task force. He breathed out low and even, allowing his relief to come forward. He'd nearly had a heart attack when the metallic noise of that infernal dart echoed right next to his ear. It took him a moment to recognize how close he had come to dropping unconscious, and spent several more internally composing himself. Thank the gods he had someone watching out for him, because he was not ready to be caught just yet.

It wasn't that he disliked surprises. Rather, he was quite fond of them, including on his heists, but only as long as he was given wiggle room to worm his way out of trouble. Tantei-kun was fierce in that he caused him to work near the bottom of his contingency list. For a while there, he was afraid he had dropped out of the chase completely - likely reason being that they still had some unspoken business to attend to. When he had disappeared, Kid was truly worried. Amongst his critics, he felt that Tantei-kun stood the best chance of taking the correct decisive action once he had managed to corner the guys he was after.

Nakamori-keibu had the true means of arresting the guys, but lacked the power to pin them down with their crimes. Hakuba had blinders on, and would probably try and bite off more than he could chew with an attempt at catching both parties. Kid had a nagging sense that course of action would likely result in both getting away, or someone getting seriously injured. Probably Hakuba himself, because his ego dictated that he do everything on his own. Tantei-kun knew how to prioritize properly, manipulate the police as necessary, and had a frighteningly accurate intuition. Every case he had seen him work on always had the same result - the criminal was exposed and arrested. Except himself, of course. When he was nowhere to be seen as soon as Kid appeared, the sinking feeling in his chest was terrible.

Now that Kid had found him, however, he was beginning to understand his reasons for slipping off alone. Surprise was a key factor, naturally, but by watching, he could see something more, as a plain irritation flashed through Tantei-kun's face. It was bit odd to see, as normally he had that usual scary glint and needle-sharp focus in his eyes when facing off with Kid in less crowded terms. The twirl and dance with the task force clearly illustrated how much outside his element he was when forcibly mixed in with the others. It was just his way of adapting, and choosing the most effective way of taking Kid down. Truly, with him, it was dancing with danger. And despite that he had nearly been sedated, he could feel nothing but relief to see that Tantei-kun was still actively chasing him. Even if he had some obvious shortcomings.

Kid had no problem with that, as it made Tantei-kun frustrated (he deserved it!), and his own job easier, but with a little bit of footwork, he was able to accommodate. He couldn't help it - he wasted way too much time looking for him to find his hiding spot just as he was leaving. More teasing was in order! Moreover, his revenge was still something to be addressed.

Now all that was left was finding a nice, quiet little alcove to air out their troubles and make a few confirmations that had been worrying him since earlier. A chuckle bubbled quietly in his chest, and he adjusted the listening device in his ear tuned to the police frequency. Most of the task force had followed him outside, so there should not be any trouble going back inside - it would be unexpected, as well. Kid dragged his card gun out, and attached the grapple hook before shooting it up at the railing of the second floor balcony. He paused long enough to eye Tantei-kun barreling down at him, and grinned wickedly. With a cheeky wave, he pulled himself up, and flipped over the edge.

Removing the hook and holstering his card gun back into the folds of his jacket, Kid leaned over to wave at him again. Faintly, he could hear an unpleasant curse, and clucked his tongue. "Such language, Tantei-kun." This earned him a glare, and Tantei-kun began running for the stairs.

With a grin, he half-hopped, half-skipped to the nearest window, and jimmied it open. His cape was just vanishing through the opening as Tantei-kun reached the balcony level.

Taking a tight turn, Kid slipped into one of the disused and darker rooms of the estate, and pressed himself against the wall adjacent to the opening. A few seconds later, and Tantei-kun bolted his way through the doorway, grabbing a handle of the doorjamb to take the turn as tightly as possible. As soon as he realized Kid was no longer in his line of sight, he nearly tripped over his own feet, struggling to stop his forward momentum. Quick movements of his head indicated he was trying to regain the trail, and the tensing of his shoulders gave away his confusion and alarm at the dismal state of the place. No other doors or windows, which only left one other possibility. A trap.

Kid grinned, clicking the door shut behind him. Another click, and the door was locked. The noise prompted Tantei-kun to whirl around, and his eyes narrowed against the darkness in a tense scowl. Of course, the effect was dampened by the fact that he was neatly out of breath, and panting for air.

He turned a wide grin on him, bright even in the gray darkness that lay like a thick veil in the air. Kid took careful note of the state he was in. All pink and flustered, and he still hadn't even said anything! Haggling the normally stoic and guarded detective, prodding and pushing his buttons, veritably _forcing_ him to bend and react in telling ways, digging out all the little secrets he held. This was something Kid figured could easily become a new pastime, even if it had nothing to do with revenge. He liked this honest, sarcastic side of him. Of _Kudou Shin'ichi_. Like a shared secret, it was almost like an inside joke. It was something Kid could understand and appreciate wholeheartedly.

Patiently, he watched as Tantei-kun caught his breath, blue eyes pinned on him with an intense ferocity. Up close, the burning gaze was even more focused, sending sparks up Kid's defensive senses. It was a familiar twinge, the same one he felt every time when he was trying to expose his disguise - like he was trying to peel his layers away by sheer force of will. Glasses flashed dimly as he righted himself and shoved his hands into his pockets, leveling him with a pointed gaze. "Locking the door was unnecessary, Cupid-san."

A smirk rose to the surface. "Just to keep unwanted guests away." Actually, should that damn soccer ball make an appearance, it was to slow him down for when he made his escape through the hidden vent in the ceiling, but that was not anything Tantei-kun needed to know about. His eyes narrowed further. He probably knew that wasn't the real reason, but Kid would stay mum on the details.

"Earlier, you made mention of a warning." Tantei-kun shifted his weight, keeping his eyes glued on Kid. The curiosity raging under the blue veneer was plain as day. "Duly noted, but don't expect something like that to stop me."

As expected, he was incredibly sharp. To be honest, Kid wasn't sure if he would make sense of the subtext there or not. But then again, he had made passing mention of it in the past. He tilted his head, and the charm hanging from his monocle swung in a lazy circle. "Fearless, as usual. The big, bad kaitou doesn't plan on stopping either. Sure you're up to the challenge?" It was a small relief. Like a non-voiced acknowledgement. Kid wanted to keep Tantei-kun's detective prowess in play until the day he truly needed it. Moreover, he'd managed to keep all the important bits of information a secret.

Tantei-kun frowned, giving a small snort in the process. "You're hardly a threat. I have no reason to run away from you, Kid."

Kid leaned back slightly, and let his eyes slide half-shut. Not exactly the threat he was talking about, but that was fine, for now. "Oh really? None at _all_?" He dragged his words out, purposeful, and with multiple meanings layered in, some of which Kid knew he couldn't possibly fathom.

"Of course not," he snapped. He smirked at the backwards compliment, and decided to subtly pick up a conversation thread from much earlier in the evening. Tantei-kun wasn't aware of the disguise he had worn, but it wouldn't hurt to try and get an answer via other means. The meaning should be plain enough, given current context.

"So, what do you plan to do about it?" Kid purred the words out, injecting as much suggestiveness into the words as he could. Color rose on his cheeks. Tantei-kun licked his lips, then pursed them, brow furrowed in determination. He was giving him another intense stare, and Kid knew he had taken the hint. He cracked another grin, waiting for his reply.

* * *

><p>Conan clenched his fists, trying to will the fire in his cheeks away. Dealing with Kid was never easy, particularly when it came to emotional things, he was discovering. They were complicated, and for Kid, infinitely more dangerous, making Conan's involvement that much more delicate. This would have been so much easier to say, if he was not so predisposed to blushing.<p>

"I-" His voice hitched, and he cursed his stuttering, cheeks growing even warmer. He paused a moment, and cleared his throat. "I plan to take you head on." There. He'd said it, even if it was a little bit louder than he intended the proclamation to be. He hadn't shouted it, had he? His eyes darted nervously to the door, listening with intent, and hoping he had not drawn attention.

More than anything, he wanted Kid to know he would not compromise their current "relationship" in any way, and that regardless of embarrassment, he could maintain his civility. No underhanded techniques, no betrayal, no manipulation of feelings. Just a straightforward, honest chase, as always. He would not run from this, and hoped Kid would not either. They had to get this out, before they could return to their usual song and dance. He was okay with Kid's feelings, but had to let him know he would not use them against him. Conan prayed he would see the meaning of his words.

Blue flickered up, to watch his reaction. As expected, his expression was entirely unreadable, molded into that mask of a smug smile that so defined his nighttime visage. It was a frustrating thing, and Conan wanted to break down the walls, to make things transparent, so he could _see_ and _understand_. If he could just piece things together, then the gnawing guilt and uncertainty would cease. Those shadows remained, and the coil in his belly tightened. He nearly jumped when Kid finally spoke.

"You know," he drawled, pausing as he sauntered closer. Kid stopped at arm's length, and peered down at him with an expression he could not quite place. Tension was still clear in his body language, however. "It's rather unfair of you."

Conan blinked, brow furrowing in confusion. "Un… fair?"

"You're in a _child's_ body." A pang all too familiar coursed through his body, and he almost staggered from the weight of it. Thoughts briefly flashed to Ran, before flickering back to Kid. His shrunken form was a perpetual reminder to his own rash stupidity, his impatience, and hard-earned lessons that some evils in the world were not so easy to expose. He _knew_ that.

He winced, and averted his eyes. "I-…" What could he say? Nothing could excuse his current predicament. Kudou Shin'ichi got himself into this mess, and he had to get himself out of it. The Black Organization had to go down, and someway, somehow, Haibara _had_ to find a cure for him. His teeth gritted in a grimace. He would _not_ apologize for trying to do the right thing.

A shuffling of fabric, and he found Kid in his face, shadows deep and long. The only light was a glimmering reflection from his monocle and a spark of light off an indigo-colored eye. Natural, no contacts. Deep in hue, and as fathomless as Kid himself. Conan found himself thinking it rather suited him. He also found himself staring.

Something in his gaze softened, and he smiled with a hint of self-admonishment. It was a genuine one, Conan noted with surprise. Warm, subtle, and it soothed over him with shocking ease. Strangely, it felt very personal. "I suppose I can live with it. I am, after all, not fair either."

That was an understatement. It could be said that Kid broke all the rules. If he wasn't already hardwired to think in tight circles, it might have given Conan a headache. As it was, it just made him curious, because behind all the pomp and flair, he could see the glimmer of something else. Kid was living by his own set of rules. What they were, how they worked, and how they applied to him - those were burning questions in his mind. To be honest, he'd never been so curious about another _person_ before. He opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted before he could get a word in.

"As such," and now his eyes were glimmering with mischief, causing an alarm to go off in Conan's head. "I will take you head on, as well. In my own way, of course." His belly fluttered at the challenge, and fought the smirk that desperately wanted to bloom over his features.

Kid leaned forward, grabbing his wrist with one hand, causing him to flinch and blink in surprise. By reflex, he reached out to grab Kid's wrist, in an effort to wrench his hand free, then found himself distracted by Kid tilting his chin up. Conan blinked in surprise again, staring at Kid, who was now entirely _too close_. He wasn't going to- Again-

Red shot through his face, and his stomach flipped. Realization dawned on him that he was completely vulnerable at the moment, and completely, physically outmatched. He couldn't use his belt with one arm trapped like this! The hand around his wrist tightened, and Conan's eyes widened. His own reflection stared uselessly back at him, bouncing off the surface of Kid's monocle. And Kid was… Kid was leaning in and _smiling_ that same cocky smirk he always wore! Just like a cat who caught a canary, only he was the canary, and he was going to be-

"_Ki-!_" His protest cut short and both parties tensed and froze, as a storm of feet rushed past the closed door. A few paused nearby to shout out more orders into their mouthpieces. Conan's heart pulsed loudly in his ears, tongue caught in his throat. Warm breath coasted over his lips, and he could actually _taste_ him. It smelled of something sweet, and in the idle parts of his brain, he twirled it around, trying to identify it. His senses came alive, and with another shock of surprise, he realized Kid himself radiated a floral kind of musky scent that he had never noticed before.

Kid's breathing was shallow and hot, his eyes burning unknown meanings at him. The smirk from before had vanished, and the look he was giving him now smoldered with an unvoiced plea for silence. Conan swallowed, and just stared back. His cheeks were throbbing, he could tell, and not because he could see his own flustered face bouncing back at him from Kid's eyepiece.

If anyone walked in now, he would melt into a puddle of mortification, and he would never be allowed at a Kid heist ever again. He would be corralled, and thrust into a child psychologist's office, and treated for childhood trauma. He might never be allowed at a crime scene again, and he would no longer have the means to fight the Black Organization. Kudou Shin'ichi would never be able to return, and he would forever be doomed to life as Edogawa Conan. The thought absolutely terrified him. He opened his mouth in an aborted gasp.

Only to have it swallowed by Kid, who was leveling him with tense eyes. White fingers in the hair at the nape of his neck pinned him in place, and the hand around his wrist tightened almost painfully. The sense snapped through his chest, down the base of his spine and back again like a rubber band. It quelled his rising terror, and for a moment, he actually found himself relaxing. Then, the reality of his situation came crashing down. Because, really? It felt awfully nice. And that terrified him in a totally different way. Because this was unmistakably real, unmistakably Kid, who was unmistakably kissing someone he _knew_ to be _Kudou Shin'ichi_ in a shrunken body. There were few times in his life he had ever felt so relieved that someone knew his true identity.

He breathed in that floral scent, and pressed back a bit, trying to communicate with his eyes. The grip he held on Kid's wrist slackened. Isn't that what you were supposed to do in that kind of situation? He had no other way to tell Kid he wouldn't scream. Kid's eyes widened slightly at the movement, before flickering in something Conan could only identify as consideration. It was then he felt the warmth of something passing over his tongue.

That bastard, he was taking _advantage_ of the situation, and - and this _really_ shouldn't be feeling so good. Was that chocolate mousse cake from the buffet table? Yes, Conan decided, it was. And a disturbing swirl in his gut was reminding him of the fact that he really _was_ a teenager, with all the appropriate hormones, _despite_ everything, and really, he should stop this insanity _right now_, because that felt _really good_, and he did not want to analyze that train of thought, because he was _straight_, and he had Ran, and-

His eyes popped open, wondering for a moment when they had closed. He yanked back with a start, and felt his cheek pulsing in a bright, crimson beat. He was not panting. No, he was not. He was an upstanding detective, who did not get flustered by criminals. He kept his cool in all situations. More than once, he'd been in life or death situations, remember? Focus, focus!

A shuffle of fabric, and Kid broke his train of thought with an almost silent murmur. "That- well,… Thank you." He stared at Kid, a bit surprised. Kid was pensively looking at the door, and it was then he realized the men from earlier had left. _Oh. Right. For not yelling._

"U-uhn." And damnit, he was stuttering again. He straightened his back in an attempt to regain composure. Yes, he was a famous high school detective. Calm and collected. "You should get back to your escape, _Michiru-san_."

His eyes flickered over, one eyebrow raised in mild surprise. "When'd you figure it out?"

"From the beginning." Kid's eyes glimmered in muted amusement. Conan sighed out a slow breath, before shooting him a smug smile. "It was how you spoke. I know someone else who pretends to speak bad Japanese, so I can tell the signs. What gave you away in the end though was your use of honorifics. Foreigners typically either forget or use the catchall 'san', but you correctly called me 'Conan-kun'. You did not use honorific suffixes for anyone else, including yourself, 'Kid', despite being such a _fangirl_." He finished his statement with a small snort.

A hum was all he got in response. The cape swished as Kid stood, and he grinned down at Conan. "Well then. As much fun as this tryst has been, I should take my leave."

Conan's lips quirked at the comment. Blue eyes narrowed in challenge. "Get out of here, so I can chase you. Unless you want a soccer ball in your back right now, because I can arrange that."

That Cheshire grin only grew at his words, even as he tugged the brim of his hat to deepen the shadows over his features. And without any further words, he slipped silently out of the room, leaving Conan behind to contemplate exactly how he was going to face Ran after this. Taking a few steadying gulps of air, he squared his shoulders, and boldly left the room.

* * *

><p>With a deep sigh, Kid set his hat and monocle down on the seat beside him. "Ugh, I'm tired." And he was. He'd spent a greater portion of the evening running and jumping, dodging, and overall sidestepping legions of lunging policemen. At least he knew they were just as tired as he was.<p>

"I had expected your return much earlier, Bocchama. It is over an hour past when we agreed to meet for the trip home. I was beginning to wonder if I should step in. I do hope you did not run into trouble." Jii looked through the rearview mirror of his car, watching as Kid unclasped his cape and unbuttoned his jacket. He knew he probably looked a little ruffled, but he couldn't help it. He was tired!

Kid slanted his eyes towards Jii's reflection for moment, before continuing to tug his jacket off. He sounded concerned. Well, more than usual. "If by trouble, you mean the police, I had them taken care of long before the heist even started. Nakamori-keibu was as fun as ever, but you know he'll never be able to catch me."

Wrinkled hands audibly tightened over the steering wheel, Jii's stare burning through the mirror and into the side of his head. "I had heard that the Sleeping Kogorou had attended. If he brought his young charge along-"

"Ah, Tantei-kun?" Kid slung the jacket over his hat and loosened his tie. Jii must have been listening in on the police broadband again if he knew about that already. He tilted his head, rubbing a bit at his neck. Frowning at the feeling of fabric, he reached to pull his gloves off, as well. "Yea, he was there."

Jii made a distressed noise. "If you were having problems, I could have-"

"I had it covered, Jii-chan. Leave dealing with Tantei-kun to me."

"Bocchama, that child is very dangerous. He reminds me very much of you when you were young - quite bright and with sharp instincts." Kid grinned absently. "If you were to ever get captured, I could never forgive myself. When you were late to return, I feared the worst."

He waved his hand, dismissing the worry. "I just had some extra business to attend to, that's all."

"Please Bocchama, I wish you would contact me about such things beforehand."

Kid leaned over, resting his chin on his palm and watching the scenery pass by with half-lidded eyes. "I didn't know about it beforehand, so it was kind of played by ear." The trees flittered past in dark blurs, but Kid really wasn't paying attention to them, anyway. He could still feel it. It tingled. Frankly, he had no idea what to think about it either. It burned, it seared, it fluttered, it made him forget _everything_ for that singular moment, and that terrified him. He muttered quietly, more to himself than for Jii's benefit. "It was a personal matter, anyway."

"Bocchama?"

Time to change subjects. No need to worry the old man about his encounter with Tantei-kun, and he didn't know why, but Kid really did not want to think about it. Not then, not while it was still so fresh. "But, tonight was a success in more than one sense!" The grin he wore was wide, and he brandished his loot so Jii could see. "Nothing to worry about, Jii-chan."

He watched as the edges of Jii's eyes crinkled from a smile. "Well, so long as you are alright." His eyes flickered from Kid, to the scarab, then back to Kid before returning to the road in front of him. He was still worried.

Kid pocketed the scarab with a quiet sigh, and let his head fall backward against the headrest. He stared at the ceiling for a moment, then let his eyes slide shut. Honestly, he was drained. It was odd, since he normally was giddy and high on adrenaline after his heists, but tonight, for some reason, he just felt like passing out. "Hey Jii-chan?"

"Yes, Bocchama?"

"Wake me up when we get home." Kid was sure it was nothing that a good rest couldn't cure.

"… Yes, Bocchama."


	5. Flapping

_A/N: Just want to take this moment to thank my lovely reviewers. I love you guys dearly. Truly, I do. *wibble*_

_I feel like I want to apologize for the purple prose, but uh, it's well placed, methinks (and rather mild). I CAN write spice properly, I promise, it's just not the right place nor time. XD_

_Without further ado, the next installment of Folded Wings._

* * *

><p>Silk. Unmistakably so, slick and smooth, with that wild shine that seemed to wink at you under the right light. It was silk. A brilliant, inviting, and intense shade of azure. It soothed over him, and it sent shivers all up and down his spine. Almost alive, it was warm, and very nearly breathed across his skin. Slowly, he felt himself wrapped in it, slinking over and underneath him, and he felt himself cradled in it, much like a hammock. It was comfortable, thrilling, exotic, and enticing all at once.<p>

It was also incredibly familiar, only he could not pin down the reason why. His mind was hazy around the edges, and frankly, he did not want to try too hard to think at the moment. Not with how it was moving over his-

"Ba'aro." Oh. _That_ voice. He knew it.

Abruptly, the warmth receded, causing him to furrow his brow. Just as he was getting familiar, too. Were they taking his cover away? His eyes slanted open, squinting against the bright onslaught of light. No, too bright, his head hurt. One hand reached up to cover his right eye, hoping in vain to cast enough of a shadow to see.

"No, not quite right."

Kaito blinked blearily against the dazzle. It was echoing again. That voice. The one he knew, but shouldn't know. The one familiar, but has never heard himself. A set of sounds he has only ever heard from inside his own head or through the means of a voice modulator.

Blindly, he reached out, grasping for a hold, hoping to pull that silk cover back, to give his eyes a rest, to calm him, and comfort him with its warmth once more. He wanted back into the darkness, a place where everything was invisible, no matter how hard you looked - himself included.

"Ba'aro, open your eyes." Irritation lined each syllable, and he flinched against it. It terrified him. That light was too bright, too intense. He was bare.

He flinched again when his world exploded in a flurry of feathers. The white coalesced into a small, but wicked smile. "There you are." It was different now. No, this one he knew well. He stared, and found himself eye to eye with someone very familiar. The grin softened, and the look became fond. "I've been waiting, you know."

And then he felt himself consumed, melting into that sapphire heat once more, only this time it was more focused. It slid over and around him, and when his eyes could finally see again, he found Tantei-kun holding him close. It was tight. Burning hot. _Incredible_. Those piercing eyes came up to look at him, and by all that he could swear, they were looking through him, down to his core. His gut clenched in response to the movement, and he wanted to claw against the light in frustration. Quietly, almost a whisper, he heard it. It was breathy, full of untold emotions, and sent shivers through him. He felt hot breath coasting over his ear. It could only be described as a bedroom voice, but spoken in that disconcerting child timbre.

"_Kaito_." The ground beneath him vanished.

He awoke with a start, fingers trembling as they gripped his covers. The world around him tipped, and he had to spend several moments keeping himself upright, completely disoriented. Silver gray light filtered in through his window, and it made it even more difficult to discern reality from his dream. His heart hammered in his chest, indigo eyes flicking back and forth in the darkness. He was… alone?

Falling back against his pillow, he rested an arm across his eyes, and slowed his breathing. Right. Dream. His shoulders sagged further into the mattress when he felt a familiar pulsing tension between his legs and the traces of a tingling reminder to a primal kind of satisfaction. He groaned in annoyance. A _dream_. Shifting his leg, he grimaced as the wetness pooled against him slid over his skin, leaving cool, slimy trails. Ugh, it was a mess.

Kaito sighed, sitting up again, and glared down his frame at the blankets bunched in his lap. If looks could kill, the covers would have shriveled up into a flaming little ball of foxfire before snuffing out with a muted sputter. Too tired and irritated to feel embarrassed, he flung the sheets aside and sent a calculating glance at his boxers. Even in the dim light, he could see the large, darkened patches staining the fabric. There was no way he could continue sleeping in those - they were shamefully saturated. Clearly, he had been holding back, and his body decided to let it all out in one go. His shoulders slumped in defeat.

Turning his eyes to the sheets, he was relieved to see them relatively unscathed. Well, that made cleanup a million times easier. Kaito pushed his heels over the edge of the bed, and pulled himself up, grimacing again. The wetness stuck to his skin, and with the exposure to the air, was now cooling at a rapid rate. It was incredibly uncomfortable. He immediately shucked them off, and shuddered against the cool air. His own heady scent wafted up and invaded his senses, but he willed himself to ignore it. It was yet another reminder of what had just happened, something he was unwilling to analyze at the moment.

Dropping the soiled boxers into a small pile of laundry to be washed, he grabbed a fresh pair from his drawer, and with it in hand, made his way under the cover of darkness to the bathroom. A small click, and the bathroom door was locked behind him.

He paused when his reflection caught his eye. Blinking, he stared for a moment, then turned to face himself head on. It was surprising, because his face was still lightly flushed, and he hadn't even realized it. More importantly though, was that _similarity_. Oh, he'd known it before. He'd even taken advantage of it on more than one occasion. But with that dream still fresh in his mind and the dim lighting, it struck an odd chord in him. The longer he stared, the more fleeting that initial impression became, and soon he was merely seeing his own face looking back at him.

Kaito shook his head in an effort to clear the cobwebs, and proceeded to wash himself clean of the evidence of the _dream_. Hands on auto-pilot, he succumbed to the mechanical motions of cleaning himself, and his mind wandered.

While hard to admit, the truth remained that Kaito had not had anything like that happen to him since he was thirteen years old. He was a dutiful teenage boy, and had no problem attending to his physical needs. On the contrary, he was a teenage boy full of vim and vigor, with a healthy appreciation for the more "physical" things in life. The fact it happened at all had to indicate that he was slacking in his attention.

All things considered, it really was not an _erotic_ dream. _Dizzy, hot, oh gods- so __**tight**_. No. Of _course_ not. Not really. The problem lay in the subject, because it was likely that very same subject that was causing him to lose his focus. Before he'd known it, Tantei-kun was beginning to consume his thoughts, and starting to interfere with more than just his heists. He was even finding him in his dreams, making his mental hiding spots pretty sparse. It was strange, considering things like that.

His motions paused. He was at a strange impasse. Kaito knew that this meant a strong impression had been made on him. Disregarding the context, _no, mustn't think too hard on that_, he would not have dreamt about someone who was of no consequence. He stared at the wall, in consideration. Tantei-kun was always someone he enjoyed being around. Somehow, though, now Kaito felt he shouldn't be teasing him quite so much. It was giving him the oddest sense of foreboding, something he normally paid no attention to. It almost felt like something invisible was creeping up on him, only he did not quite know what. It set his self-preservation senses tingling.

His last encounter with Tantei-kun left another sharp effect on him. He was really trying hard. From what he could tell, he's considered things at length. By comparison, Kaito was taking things by the seat of his pants, and only now were things finally starting to sink in. Tantei-kun was seriously going at him. He had a renewed sense of respect for the guy. Guilt had washed over him out of nowhere when he saw the clear anguish cross over Tantei-kun's features at the mention of his diminutive state. Something serious had to have happened to cause that kind of expression. There was a story there, something more than just an odd shrink spurt. It was painful, whatever it was, and it made him feel bad.

On the other hand, he was a thief, and Tantei-kun was just that - a detective. He had promised to take him head on, and Kaito had promised the same in return. There was something very dichotomous there, only he couldn't quite figure out what. He wasn't a detective; he did not think like one. If he tried to mull this one around, he had a sneaking suspicion it just might drive him mad. With a twist of his wrist, the water cut off, and he set the washcloth aside. A quick dry-off, and he was soon in his fresh pair of boxers and heading back to his room.

He let out a soft sigh as he sank onto the edge of his bed. His eyes rested on the source of the red glimmer shining against his desk. The scarab had been a false alarm, and while it did emit a red glow, it was nothing unnatural. Moreover, nothing special occurred when he held it under the light of the full moon. It made his heart heavy to have another failure, but he could cross it off his list of suspicious jewels. Now that he'd ascertained it was nothing but a regular shiny trinket, it could be returned.

The problem now was how to get it returned. Thoughts of the detective filtered back into his mind. Tantei-kun had been there, at that heist. He could give it to him, and he knew it would eventually find its rightful place back with its owner. To be honest, he did _not_ want to go anywhere near that man ever again. It was as good a reason as any to avoid the owner, even though he knew Nakamori-keibu could do just the same. He just preferred Tantei-kun's company, no matter how fleeting an encounter it probably would be. So yes, Tantei-kun would do just fine. With a half-formed sleepy grin, he flopped back onto his bed, and slid his eyes shut. It did not take long for him to sink back into the inky blackness of unconsciousness.

Several hours later, he found himself once more being interrupted from his dreams.

"Onii-san?" Light and bubbly, cute, and super girly. If a color had to be assigned to the voice, he would choose bubblegum pink. He cracked one eye open to find a young girl staring up at him curiously. He lifted his head, blinked, then grinned at her. A small pink rose materialized in his hand, and he presented it to her. Pink for pink.

"Hello there, ojou-san."

Small fingers came to take the paper flower, and she looked at it in awe. Lifting her head, she smiled brightly, and hopped onto the bench next to him. "I'm so sorry to wake you up." Her legs swung in carefree arcs, too short to reach the ground. The sun had passed to a low angle, and speckled the ground with lengthening shadows. Kids hollered at each other, running past with sticks in hand, and several more were laughing as they braved the height of the slides. A few left deep indentions in the sand, shoe and butt sized, depending on their agility. School had let out, and the park playground was now flooded with children.

A quick glance at his watch, and he gave her another grin, this time a bit embarrassed. "No, I'm glad you did. I'm waiting for somebody. I'd hate to miss them, because I was snoozing."

Giggling, she turned wide eyes on him. "I'm waiting for someone, too!" Her look turned into one of concern. "You look really tired, though. Are you okay? My mom says if I don't get enough sleep at night, then I'll be super tired during the day. That is why bedtime was made."

Kid angled his head to the side, a small grin passing by his lips. "Your mom would be right. It's just a dream that's been bothering me."

"Oh no, was it a nightmare?" She looked positively aghast, and he chuckled in spite of himself.

"No, not exactly." Her eyes were glimmering, almost overflowing with innocence. Kid wondered mildly if he could ever really be able to mimic something so unerringly pure. "It was a… good dream." She was way to young to understand the complexities of teenage boys.

This time it was her turn to tilt her head, and she looked a bit perplexed. "If it was a good dream, then why is it bothering you?"

He let his gaze move over to the swarming chaos of children nearby. "Hmm. Because somebody I know was in it."

"Is it somebody you don't like?"

"Ah no, it's not like that. You could actually call us friends."

"So then if it was a good dream, and it was about a friend…" She was still looking confused. He slumped his shoulders a bit, and gave a wry smile. Now then, how to put this delicately, and as vaguely as possible so that a child might understand? Kid took in a deep breath, and considered his words.

"This was the kind of dream you're only supposed to have about someone you really like."

Blinking, she paused to consider his words. She then leveled him with a straight look. "Well, then doesn't that mean you like your friend?"

Kid stared, and an unease began crawling up his spine. "Ojou-san, perhaps I should mention that this friend of mine is a _boy_."

The comprehension was so easy to trace in her features. Her cheeks grew pink, and her mouth formed into a small "o". She turned her gaze down to the hands that still cradled the rose in her lap. "Oh." She fiddled with her fingers, before whipping her head back up. "But my friend says that sometimes boys like boys and girls like girls." Really, who was she hanging around that was telling her these things? She nodded her head, as if affirming things to herself, then looked at him sternly.

"It's okay. Even though it's a boy you like, I promise I won't make fun of you."

What? Somehow the conversation had spiraled completely out of control. "Ojou-san, that's not quite-"

"Ayumi-chan! There you are!" And again, that unease drilled a firm little hole into his spine. The voice from his dream came rushing back full-force, _There you are_, and as his eyes flit up, he saw the face that matched it. Tantei-kun stopped in front of the two, grinning, and trying to catch his breath. "Sorry I'm late, I had something to drop off. Where're the other guys?" Oh gods, he was _breathy_. And _flushed_. Same inflection, same _everything_.

Piercing blue eyes moved over to regard him, and Kid had to fight an impulsive blush of intense shame from creeping up his face. Even that same color of azure. They gave him a quick, critical once over, before vanishing behind an all too familiar childish façade. Blink, and it would have been missed. He felt grateful he'd had the foresight to disguise himself for this little excursion, because he hadn't intended to meet so abruptly. The latex mask would probably do a good job of hiding the color in his face. It was one thing to react to circumstances, something else entirely to formulate one subconsciously.

"I told them to go on ahead, and hold a spot in line." She was absolutely beaming.

"What, even Haibara?" He muttered the sentence in near silence and sighed, trying to veil his irritation. Haibara, the girl who seemed to be on par with Tantei-kun's maturity. Somehow, Kid just knew she was the one feeding thoughts into the girl's head. He gave her a weak smile before turning his attention back to Kid. "Thanks for waiting with her, onii-san."

Ayumi bounced to the ground, and grinned. Her eyes were wide, and eager. "That's okay - we were waiting together. He gave me a rose!" And at that, she presented the flower in front of her for appraisal. Kid leaned over smiling, and conjured a blue one for him. He looked momentarily unimpressed, but politely took it with a muttered thanks. Ayumi squealed, and shot a bright smile at Kid, before drawing her gaze back to the paper rose. "It's the same color as your eyes!"

"Didn't want him to feel left out." Kid leaned back against the bench. Tantei-kun was eyeing the paper flower sharply, probably trying to figure out the trick. It merely made Kid grin.

"We were just talking about dreams. Conan-kun, have you had any dreams with Ayumi-chan in them?" Kid nearly choked. That was all kinds of wrong. For his part, Tantei-kun looked at her as if she'd sprouted a third eyeball.

Kid shifted a bit, looking at her. It was plain as day she had a tremendous crush on Tantei-kun. She was leaning a bit forward, eyes sparkling and focused on her friend. His gaze shifted to the one in question, and almost grinned. Tantei-kun was clearly not comfortable under the scrutiny. It would also seem he was quite aware of the poor girl's feelings. "Uh, I'm not quite sure. I dream about a lot of people." Kid internally applauded. _Nice vague answer, Tantei-kun!_

The reply did seem to disappoint her, but with the liveliness of a child, almost immediately passed it out of her mind. Ayumi steered her conversation to Kid this time. "Onii-san was just telling me that he's tired because of a good dream that is bothering him. Something about a dream you only have about people you really like? He says it's because it was about a friend." Amused blue eyes turned on him, an eyebrow crooked just the slightest bit, and practically obscured by the rim of those fake glasses.

Was there a hole he could crawl up into and die? Because really, he wished he could do so. That sickeningly sweet smile shot up at him as Tantei-kun spoke, but Kid wasn't fooled for a second. "You should confess to her, already." The deeper the hole, the better.

Ayumi looked over. "Oh no, his friend is a boy." Really, really deep. Her eyes went back to Kid, and Tantei-kun gave a choked little sputter and look of surprise. "Is he the one you're waiting for?"

Kid raised a hand up, in effort to refute the non-stop implications spewing from her mouth. That couldn't be right. No. Really. "He is the one I'm waiting for, but…" Well, he was already here.

"Ayumi-chan, I think we should probably let onii-san think about his dream on his own." Yes. Please. She frowned at him, and sent another concerned look Kid's way. Tantei-kun was giving him a surprisingly apologetic look. That sent his insides rolling, because the situation was just absurd. Tantei-kun. Apologizing to him. For talking about his "good dream", which just so happened to star said detective. All while totally oblivious. He could hit his head against a wall right about then. The universe had to be playing some cosmic joke on him.

Ayumi's lips pursed, and she gave another stern look. "Okay. But it's okay to like boys!" From the corner of his eye, he could see Tantei-kun lightly smacking his forehead with a palm.

"I'll keep that in mind." A weak smile her way, and she beamed.

"Take care of yourself, onii-san!" She waved, and the two of them set off at a fair clip. Kid watched them until they turned a corner and vanished around a row of bushes.

He let his head hang down, exhausted. How Tantei-kun managed to deal with that every single day was a complete mystery. A soft sigh passed his lips, then his head shot up, eyes wide. He'd forgotten! Slumping against the bench, he groaned this time, and rubbed fingers roughly through his hair. The whole point was to sneak the scarab into Tantei-kun's clothing, but with the distracting topic of conversation, it had completely slipped his mind. Something was seriously wrong with him.

The sun glared into his eyes when he finally raised his head again. He still needed to get the jewel to the Mouri's. Dragging up to his feet, the soles of his shoes scraped noisily against the sidewalk. Several stray pieces of gravel lay across the path, sliding away under his feet as he walked. On the bright side, at least he was already near the detective agency.

He had barely made it to the edge of the park when a great commotion and a few high-pitched screams echoed in the air. Distant and quiet, they only carried this way due to the wind. Even so, the wind itself had nearly drowned it out. Glancing back over his shoulder, he could see a small flock of birds in the distance taking to the sky in fright, and narrowed his eyes. A couple of people running by had harried looks on their faces, and were quickly gathering up their respective children.

"We've got to go, someone's been killed!"

Kid let his eyes drop into a deadpan. Somehow, he was just not surprised. That was the direction Tantei-kun had run off to. Why did it feel like he just narrowly avoided another disaster? He was just debating whether or not he should make his way over to possibly lend a hand when the screech of police sirens passed right by him. A collection of slamming doors, and the officers ran towards, then around him. He'd jumped, and nearly fled out of sheer instinct. Instead, he tottered and hopped on one foot out of their way. Kid was way too accustomed to running away from the police.

He stared after them, watching as they disappeared into the distance. To be honest, he was a bit amazed at how quickly the entire thing happened. Perhaps Beika was far too used to this kind of a thing? Shaking his head, he turned, and made his way out of the park. Tantei-kun was there, and he could trust that he would bring the culprit to justice.

Meanwhile, he had a detective agency to stake out, and as if erasing the black cloud he'd fled from, he got a stroke of good luck when it came into sight. He could see the tail-end of her hair swishing as Mouri Ran turned around the bend, walking away from her home. Disguising as her would be easier than trying to elbow his way in as a delivery guy, or a potential customer. It just meant he would need to check if her plans would be long or short-lived.

Kid made his way to the nearest corner, then donned his mask and costume, adjusted his stance, and effectively became Mouri Ran. It was no lie when Tantei-kun accused him of liking to disguise as a girl. If properly pulled off, it was one of the greatest of pranks a guy could play. With a smile, he went up the agency's stairwell, and popped his head through the doorway. The older detective, Mouri Kogorou, lifted his head, and gave her a curious look.

"I thought you left."

"I forgot something, so I came back." He grunted, and shuffled a few papers into his jacket, before standing and walking towards the door.

"I'm on my way now, so make sure to lock up behind you." He reached over, grabbing a tan trench coat that had been draped on a shelf near the entrance.

Kid raised an internal eyebrow. The guy actually worked his own cases? So far as he had seen, Tantei-kun was always at his heels doing the important detective-y things. And that trench coat? What was he trying to be, a spy agent? It wasn't even cold or raining outside.

He nodded when Mouri turned to look at him. "Okay, be careful." Another grunt, and then he was gone. Kid blinked at the closed door, then slowly, a grin took form. He was alone, at Tantei-kun's home. From what he could tell, this level looked like nothing but a regular office. The stairwell outside the door continued upward, so Kid figured that must be where the living area was.

Slipping out, he stepped up to the top landing, and after picking the lock, let himself inside. Leaving his shoes at the foyer, he turned the corner, and found himself in a small, cozy living space. He grinned, and put on a pair of gloves. This would be interesting.

The first thing he noticed was the small piece of paper sitting on the small table in the living room. Picking it up, it explained the reason for Ran's absence, and gave assurances she would return soon to make supper. She had gone shopping for groceries, so that gave him perhaps thirty minutes, possibly an hour before she would return. He slipped the paper into his pocket, as a precaution. It would be returned, once he was leaving. He stared at the pillow seats, wondering for a moment who sat where. Which one did Tantei-kun sit at?

Turning his head, he found the kitchen (which he decided against exploring, on the off chance there might be… undesirables there), and around the hallway, past the bathroom, were the bedrooms. Kid hesitated at the doorway to what looked like a shared room for both detectives. A niggling sense was making him a little uncomfortable, since his usual intrusions were into commercial buildings, not personal homes. The homes he did break into for his heists were typically all large enough to feel like a museum anyway. The small scale of this place made it feel very intimate. This was the place Tantei-kun slept. Did he dream, as well? Of him?

Kid slid the door closed at that. The jewel. He was here to return the jewel.

Toeing back into his shoes, he only paused long enough to wipe the doorknob clean, then headed back downstairs. Wiping that one clean as well, he let himself back into the office. He turned his gaze around the space. A small kitchenette occupied the corner, but it was otherwise a professional looking space. The desk was a mess, but that seemed to suit Mouri's personality. A small restroom situated itself around the corner. Pretty utilitarian.

His eyes passed over the middle of the main room. He figured that Tantei-kun probably sat in one of the couches, facing the coffee table. If Kid had wanted to eavesdrop in that situation, that would be the place he would have made himself comfortable. The table was probably the best place to leave the jewel. Eyeing the desk, he was a bit worried it would just get accidentally lost there. Should he leave a note?

"I'm home!" The door creaked slightly as it opened, and there in the doorway stood Tantei-kun.

Kid whipped around and blinked at him in surprise, before quickly secreting his gloves back into his pockets. Wasn't he supposed to be off playing with his friends? "Welcome back! I wasn't expecting you to come back so soon."

His head ducked, sheepishly. "There was a case, and the show got cancelled. We were going to go to Agasa-hakase's place, but he actually had some work to do. We decided to just meet up again tomorrow."

Kid willed his heart to slow, nodded his head, then smiled as an afterthought. "That's too bad. Well, it is getting kind of late, and it is a school night." It would make slipping away more difficult, but since there was that note the real Mouri Ran left behind, he could use the same excuse. He would just need to be quick about it, since she had already been gone for a little while. Kid was beginning to regret taking his free time to explore.

"You reminded me, I have some homework to do, but I left it upstairs! Be right back!" He shot up a bright smile, then trotted out of the room. A few seconds later, and the phone began ringing, causing him to groan internally. Kid walked to the desk, pulling the notepad closer. He wasn't sure he could mimic her handwriting based on one note alone, but if he didn't pick up and Tantei-kun came back in the middle of the answering machine recording, it would be suspicious, especially if the one calling was Mouri Ran herself.

Using one hand, he flicked the hair away from his shoulder, and cradled the handset against his ear. "Hello, Mouri Detective Agency."

"_Yo, Ran!_" He nearly dropped the phone. Today was proving a mini-nightmare. He knew mixing in with Tantei-kun was inevitably asking for trouble. Yet somehow, every single time, he was surprised.

"S-Shin'ichi?" Kid tilted his head, and gave a surreptitious glance over his shoulder towards the doorway. It wasn't entirely surprising to find it slightly cracked open. Was this how Tantei-kun normally made his phone calls? He was almost as daring as Kid!

"_I know it's been a while, but I've been busy. I've still got this big case, and well…_" Case? Did that have something to do with his shrinkage? Tantei-kun was a very good detective. If this was a case, and he was still tiny for this amount of time, it had to be incredible to remain unsolved for that long. Then there was his adamant secrecy and that pained expression from before. An uneasy feeling began to grow, and his throat tightened.

No, he had to be Mouri Ran right now. Dredging up all his encounters with her while disguised as Kudou, he formulated a mental image. Breathing in deeply, he raised his voice and forced his adrenaline into tight focus. "You should have called earlier! I was so worried when I hadn't heard anything!"

A deep chuckle resonated from the phone. "_Sorry, sorry._"

Kid huffed. "You will just have to make it up to me, and no pulled punches! I won't let you off easy."

He could practically hear Tantei-kun grin. "_I'll add it to my list of things to do when I get back._"

"You better not forget. It's been so long, already."

"_Ba'aro, you know I won't forget. Once I get back, ask me anything, okay? I promise I'll come back, but it will have to wait until after I finish this case. Until then, I'll call as often as I can._"

His voice noticeably softened, and Kid's fingers tightened around the handset. Something was pooling in his chest, and catching in his throat. If asked, he wouldn't have been able to place a name to it, only that it was increasingly persistent. That nebulous presence irritated him. "Okay. I'll hold you to that one, for sure."

"_Right. Listen, I heard from Conan-kun, you got to go riding on an airship, right?_"

His gut clenched again. The place where everything started turning crazy. This was all Tantei-kun's fault! "Yes! I went together with Conan-kun and his friends. It was actually one of Sonoko's relatives who invited us. You should have seen it, it was amazing!"

"_I can imagine!_" Of course he can. He was there. "_See any aliens up there?_"

"_Shin'ichi!_" Laughter filtered through the headset at him. "Geez. It was really nice. But it was also pretty scary. I thought I'd become infected with that bacteria that was all over the news. I thought…" Kid trailed off, lips drawn down into a frown. He'd been worried then, too. Tantei-kun was prone to danger, after all. He thought he could take care of things without getting hurt, and ever since then, it's been weighing on his mind. Such a small body, he clearly did not know his own limits.

"_Ran?_" His voice sounded a bit concerned, and that feeling was pinching in his chest again. Now was not the time to be analyzing it. Topic change, topic change.

"Oh, and Kid was there, and he was pretending to be you. I was really surprised! I thought you had run off to become a thief."

"_Wha-? Oi, Ran, give me more credit, would ya?_" He broke out into another laugh, before continuing. "_I heard from Conan-kun that he was there, but he didn't tell me anything about that._"

Kid tilted his head, curiously. She didn't tell him that? "I really thought it was you! He had me completely convinced, too."

"_Well, he is Kid. He's probably one of, if not the best at disguising that I've ever come across._"

"You've met with Kid?" Bewildered, he stared at the desk. Had he? As Kudou Shin'ichi? Kid certainly didn't remember it.

"_Er. Y-yea, you remember. Uh, right! That clock tower heist I told you about?_" Kid blinked. Well, he remembered that one, because it was the first one he very nearly was captured. Things made a whole lot more sense now, if it was Tantei-kun directing the task force. That would also explain the déjà vu he felt on occasion.

"Oh, right. Yes, I remember. With the fake diamonds and mystery code."

* * *

><p>Conan frowned at his phone. That last particular bit of information was never given to the public, and he didn't remember telling Ran about it. As far as people knew, Kaitou Kid had "stolen" the hands of the clock as promised, and the ones intending to commit insurance fraud were arrested. The code was still sitting in police custody, unsolved.<p>

He had no reason to translate it for anybody, since it prevented the tower from being torn down. Not that it mattered in the end, seeing as the owner went to jail, but that was beside the point. He hadn't told her that, had he? He used to not have any interest in thieves to begin with, it was just that particular case was a bit unique. More play than anything, he was offhand about it, and really did not go into much detail. At the time, he was more interested in riding in a police helicopter. Kid's heist was just incidental, really.

Shifting, he peeked through the opening, and looked at Ran's back. As far as he could tell, she was acting normal, but he hadn't really been home for very long. Plus, Kid was just as he had said. An amazing disguise artist. Conan narrowed his eyes in consideration.

"Speaking of codes, you remember the one we found in the school library? The one Kid wrote?" He watched as Ran shifted, and cradled the phone closer to her ear.

"_Of course. What about it?_" This prompted another frown. He hadn't found out the message was from Kid until he discovered the note again as Conan.

"That kid in glasses told me that him and his friends recently found it there, stuffed behind a book. Hard to believe it was there for this many years. It's been what, ten years?" Ran's shoulders stiffened.

"_Really? For something to last that long, it must have been hidden really well!_"

"It was, apparently. It was so well hidden, actually, that I imagine it was probably done on purpose. I did not find out it was a message from Kid until I found it again and deciphered the final clue." The door creaked, and Conan stepped into the office. He glared at the fake Ran, and snapped his phone shut.

"Nice to know you could be stumped that long over a riddle." Ran's voice disappeared into the lower rumblings he could identify as Kid's. The tension sank out of his shoulders and they slumped in a half-shrug of acknowledgement. Conan had called the bluff and won.

"It was a complicated one, not meant for mere children."

Kid set the phone back into its cradle, not looking in his direction. Conan mentally grumbled a bit when he took a cloth to wipe it free of prints. It would be a lie to say he had not been hoping some would be left behind. "Well, you aren't exactly a mere child, Tantei-kun."

"I was at the time. I hadn't realized the riddle was not intended for me." Dropping his hand, he stuffed the phone back into the rear pocket of his shorts. Warily, he edged forward, giving himself a clear shot should the need arise. A non-committal hum was his reply, and Conan frowned. He was beginning to notice Kid did that a lot. It was so open to interpretation, and it drove his logical facilities crazy.

His muscles tensed when Kid reached into a pocket, pulling out a suspicious white lump of fabric. But instead of turning to Conan, he placed it on the desk, and folded out the edges. His movements were slow and meticulous. From his vantage he caught the bright glint of gold and red, and the reason for Kid's visit suddenly became clear. He shot his eyes back up, watching him carefully.

Something worried him, because he was not smiling. The familiar leer and playful gaze would have looked out of place on Ran's face, but the lack of reaction was a cause for concern. Conan was aware of Kid's feelings, and for him to be like this, there had to be a reason. Was it the phone conversation? A wince resonated inside, as he realized he had been treating Kid with the care he normally reserved for _Ran_. His gaze lowered, abashed.

"It's incredible, isn't it?" The waning sunlight shone off the intricate golden wings, and reflected in uneven patterns against the desk. The red of the ruby gave it a warm glow. Kid was quiet after that, and they both watched the jewel for a moment in silence. It was an uncomfortable kind of lull, and Conan's eyes slid back over to Kid. When it became clear he would not say anything further, Conan finally spoke up.

"But it's not what you're looking for." It was more a statement than anything, and the lack of response was a veritable confirmation. Kid turned his head to look at him, eyes notably darker and far more piercing than Ran's. They spoke volumes, and contained _recognition_ for him. For _Kudou Shin'ichi_. Those were the thief's eyes, not his childhood friend's, and the inconsistency did not sit well in his stomach. Conan flitted his eyes back to the scarab to avoid the gaze.

Again, the surging curiosity threatened to consume him. More than anything, he wanted to find more clues that made up the puzzle known as Kaitou Kid. Something important, something vital was missing. He desperately wanted to fill that void. All he knew at that point was that Kid was looking for a jewel. Judging by his history, looking for one within a certain size range, and with some sort of history or story behind it. Something with an unknown danger factor. Due to the continued haphazard search, Kid clearly was not sure what the jewel he was searching for looked like exactly. Conan did not know what the defining factor was that Kid used to decide if a jewel was the one he wanted or not, but seeing as he inevitably returned each and every one, he had no interest in anything except for the one he was ultimately after.

What was so special about it? Why did he need to go about stealing with such flair to find it? He was certainly drawing a lot of attention to himself. Was he trying to lure the owner out? What use would that be, if it's being hidden away? Wouldn't they go even more into hiding? Moreover, his criteria wasn't even all that clear. Not unless said owner knew Kid, and was trying to hide from him, instead. But that would mean Kid knew the owner, too, and shouldn't have to be on this wild goose chase. Unless he _didn't_ know the owner. If that was the case, then it would have something to do with the previous Kid, someone Conan was sure had to be a different person. That brought on a whole new slew of questions, such as who the original Kid was, and what their relationship to the current one was.

There were too many things Conan still did not know the answers to, and somehow, he felt that if he could just get one vital bit of information, then maybe he could understand him better. The only thing he could glean was that Kid was absolutely brilliant, had a penchant for making mischief, and wasn't really a bad guy from what he could tell. He would dare to say that he was actually fond of him. He was interesting, mysterious, and one of the rare few who could meet him on an intellectual level. If anything, Kid was no ordinary thief, and had ulterior motives. That much was clear from the beginning. Conan did not do well with having unsolved mysteries hanging over his head. They bugged him relentlessly. Kid was becoming a huge presence in his life, just by being _infuriating_. He had nestled himself quite deeply now that matters of the heart were at stake.

He stared intently at the jeweled insect, as if demanding for it to rear up and spill its secrets. A frown grew, as the scarab refused to give up any answers. "Kid." From the corner of his eye, he could see Kid tilt his head a bit in question. So many things he wanted to say, but his pride did not allow any of them to pass his lips. A clue. He wanted a clue. His eyes flitted back to Kid's, who were watching him rather impassively. Once more, Ran's face surprised him, and he let his eyes keep moving to the side, focusing instead on his shoulder. He racked his brain for a question that he might actually get an honest answer for. "Is this dangerous for you?"

The question itself struck him as odd. Belatedly, he realized that could have meant any number of things, ranging from being arrested for grand larceny, to having his life threatened, to his feelings for a certain shrunken detective. It then dawned on him that he was actually _worried_. He couldn't place exactly where the worry stemmed from, however. Perhaps it was from all those things.

Conan chanced another look, and was pleased to see a good measure of surprise on Kid's face. After a short pause, he replied. "Probably as dangerous for me as it is for you."

He bit the inside of his cheek. It was an appropriately vague answer, but a basic concession that yes, Kid was in some kind of dangerous situation. He was well aware of the very obvious danger of him being an internationally wanted thief. If Kid was replying to that aspect, he probably would have given a cocky assurance of his invincibility. So that left only an immediate threat to his life, or flirting with someone who by all rights should be his enemy. Judging by past warnings, he was leaning towards physical danger. If this was the case, then why was he being so pompous about his thefts? Only one reason came to mind. But the question was why?

Conan wanted to test the waters.

Blue eyes came up to look at Kid again. As sharp as ever, Kid was watching him under a cool, emotionless mask. Even for Ran, the lack of expression was strange. It unnerved him, because something was telling him that things were not quite right. It was almost like he was carefully considering something important. He forced himself to keep looking at the eyes behind the Ran disguise. Mulling the words around in his mind before speaking, he watched for Kid's reaction. "You're trying to lure someone out, aren't you? Someone who wants to get rid of you. The gem you're after, that's the key."

A flicker passed through his eyes, and almost imperceptibly, his nostrils flared. Interestingly, it was precisely because Kid was disguised as Ran that he was able to even notice the slight movement. Anyone else, and it might have slipped past him. His eyes narrowed. He was definitely onto something.

Kid's eyes narrowed in turn. His posture changed, and Conan noticed it was a more closed off position. That trademark smirk plastered itself on his lips, and suddenly, "Ran" was barely recognizable. The lilt in his voice was almost hollow, and again, if he hadn't been on the lookout for it, it would have slipped his notice. "Tantei-kun, it's quite rude to ask a magician about their secrets. I won't be giving you any hints about my next target."

Conan pursed his lips. Kid was on the defensive again, and he didn't like it. "That's not-, no, I'm…" _Worried_. For someone like Kid to take such a serious risk, it couldn't be any ordinary threat. This must be the _Trouble_ he always sensed. He let out an irritated sigh, and brought a hand up to his temple to ease the tension building there. "I'm trying to understand."

"Ever the critic, I see. You'll just have to wait and see." Off-hand, and he knew exactly where he was going with it. Kid was diverting.

"You are infuriating." This prompted a genuine grin, and Conan gave one in return. He let his shoulders relax, not sure when they had grown tense to begin with. It felt good to see Kid smiling again. Oddly, it felt far more natural, more normal, and almost like a smile _belonged_ on his face, Ran's features notwithstanding. Even more so, it reminded himself to smile every single time, like some kind of contagion.

"I like to keep my detectives on their toes."

"Ba'aro. With all the prancing around you do, you don't need to worry about something like that." Another grin, wider this time.

"It's better than dancing lessons. But if you'd rather prefer, I'm sure I can manage."

"I dance well enough, thank you."

"Not enough to catch me, though."

"That remains to be seen."

"I sincerely doubt it." Kid had his full-blown grin on by then, and it contrasted all the more against his disguise. It was really disconcerting, but Conan could not stop the smirk that tugged at his own lips. The tension from earlier had dissipated into thin air.

"Try not to be too surprised then when I defeat you."

"Oh, but I do love a good surprise. You'll just have to prove it to me, then." Smooth and natural, a perfectly enticing invitation. Kid was looking smug, and Conan wanted to rear up to meet the challenge right then and there. He was debating rushing forward, but then Kid was moving.

The pleated skirt he wore fluttered, but his footfalls were silent as he stepped away from the desk. Just slightly, his lips were parted, and Conan could sense mischief in the air. He was getting closer, and the only thing Conan could think of was that Kid seemed to have no concept of personal space, and it had an uncanny ability to knock him off balance.

Conan held an earnest hand out, warding him off. "Don't you dare k-kiss me with that face, Kid." That really was not what he had intended to say - the words just sort of tumbled out in a blurt. He'd meant for it to be a growl, but came out with a light stutter, and _again_ his cheeks were growing pink. Damnit. But he would not tolerate Ran's face of all people. Absolutely not.

Kid paused and looked at him, amusement tickling the corners of his mouth. He just _knew_ he was struggling to not laugh. For a moment, Conan wondered if he should just forget about the remorse he had felt earlier. But, prudently, Kid actually passed him by, giving him only a light touch on the head and a short hum for a reply. A familiar floral musk passed by in his wake, and Conan wondered why he had never noticed it before. It seemed so obvious, now.

Conan turned and followed partway, keeping wary eyes on Kid in case he decided to do anything. He pursed his lips. There was still something important to say. "Kid." He turned his head, already halfway down the stairs. Serious blue eyes regarded him. "I will capture you. But until then, be careful."

A flash of white, and Kid was grinning. "I always am." And then he was gone.

He released a sigh, and turned his attention back into the office, eyeing the red scarab sitting on Oji-san's desk. Stepping over, he hopped onto the desk chair and looked at it more carefully. He had seen it at the heist, but not so closely. The sunlight was captured in the facets, and reflected off the golden wings, bouncing back into the ruby, and casting a red glow. It was a work of art, and an interesting use of the gold's properties. The white cloth used to wrap the scarab had a cheeky Kid caricature embroidered in one corner, and Conan let out a small snort. He never knew Kid took up needlepoint.

Pulling the corners of the cloth back over the ruby to protect it from dust and fingerprints, he picked up the phone and called the police to report the gem had been returned. Not that he didn't trust Occhan to properly return it, he just had doubts he would do so in a timely manner, especially with him off on yet another adulterer spy case. He also felt that Kid had returned the gem to _him_, and not to Oji-san. Somehow, it felt like his duty to return the thing himself.

Nakamori-keibu was not too thrilled to see Conan, but as far as their meetings went, it was actually quite brief. After assuring the inspector that he had not touched the ruby, and had properly handled it, he surrendered the jewel to the authorities. A quirked eyebrow was all he gave to the Kid-signed cloth, before stuffing the entire thing into an evidence bag, and shoving it into his jacket. With a flippant wave of the hand, he turned, and left.

Conan watched him leave, a bit bemused. He was expecting to have to give an account of his encounter with Kid, and even ruminated over a short little cover story filled with several half-truths. Finally, he shrugged, and attributed it to the fact Nakamori-keibu probably did not want to run into Occhan, as the two of them got along as well as cats and dogs. That, or in a moment of lucidity, he had realized that it would be useless information anyway, and would not contribute to capturing Kid. He was willing to bet it was the former.

Ultimately, after the patrol cars had all driven off, he found himself enjoying a rare bit of peace and quiet. With a grin, he slunk upstairs, and made himself comfortable.

The sound of the door and plastic rustling were ample warning for him to stow away his most recent mystery novel, and replace it with a more age-appropriate chapter book he was supposed to be reading for a book report. His eyes flitted up, when her familiar silhouette came into view. Yes, definitely not Kid's eyes - this was Ran. "Welcome back, Ran-neechan!" She carried a few crinkling bags of groceries in her hands - more than usual. He tilted his head in question. "You bought a lot!"

Ran practically beamed down at him. "We just got paid today, so we'll be having a big supper, tonight. I hope you're ready!" He chimed his approval, and distantly hoped Occhan would not blow the money on yet another inane Okino Yoko figurine or waste it on pachinko. Honestly, the money was supposed to last longer than a _week_. "Oh good, I'm so glad." He glanced back up at her quizzically, and found she had a look of relief.

"Ran-neechan?"

"You seemed to have something on your mind, and felt like you were avoiding me, so I was a bit afraid I had done something to upset you. You look like you're in a better mood. Everything is alright now, right?" She looked down at him again, worried. His chest clenched. Managing a small little smile, he nodded.

Her shoulders relaxed and she nodded back. "Alright. Otou-san came back with me, but he's downstairs, finishing up some paperwork. I know you're probably pretty hungry, but it will take a little while for me to get supper ready. You can snack on this in the meantime. I know you're a big fan, so I bought it just for you." Rustling in one of the bags, she dragged out a small box of Kamen Yaiba brand animal crackers. Conan took the box with another forced smile.

"Unh, thanks!" With another smile cast over her shoulder, she disappeared into the kitchen. He sighed, dropping the suspiciously sweet looking box of cookies (no way were those mere _crackers_) on the table, and sat Indian-style at his spot. Elbow propped on the edge, he rested his chin in his palm, and watched her legs with half-lidded eyes as she bustled around, making preparations.

He hadn't thought she'd noticed. Granted, she had an uncanny ability to root out his moodiness as Shin'ichi, but he thought as a kid things might be a bit different. In fact, he had a bit of pride for his acting. Her maternal inclinations were almost frighteningly accurate, and she made things really tricky sometimes at crime scenes. Then again, as he leveled a deadpan at the brightly colored box in front of him, maybe not entirely accurate.

And then _again_, thank the gods it wasn't entirely accurate, because there was no telling what kind of storm would pass through if Ran was even suspicious that Kaitou Kid had eyes for him. Worse yet, that he had already been subjected to not one, but two kisses. His first kiss had been with Ran, also as Conan. What troubled him, however, was just how _different_ that was from the other two. He let his arm fall down, and crossing them over the table, rested his head against a forearm. He could feel his cheeks growing warm.

He felt guilty. Especially after the most recent heist, he'd avoided eye contact with her. Looking at her usually instilled guilt in him, but it had suddenly become several times more magnified. This was no longer about just blowing her off, not being able to meet her as Shin'ichi anymore, or returning her worried voice mails. This was something else, something he still did not clearly grasp. And for all his mind-picking, there was only one shaky reason he could come up with. His face buried into the crook of his elbow, cheeks burning.

He'd _liked_ it.


	6. In Rhythm

_A/N: It's late, but here it is. I had to do some research and planning, which loosely translates to: "I got distracted by the 'nets, and I apologize profusely for the delay". [I have been thoroughly mind-melding with another Conan fic I'm working on, and it's kidnapping my fingers.] Also. WORDS. *headdesk* I have the last chapter all written up, but it keeps getting pushed back in deference to current plot points. As if this fic had a plot._

_Also, I should mention I hate summer. Ugh. *melts into pathetic puddle*_

* * *

><p>Summer was crawling along into its late months, leaving a lingering discomfort in its wake. The sun blazed down, unrelenting, and impossibly bright. Many tried to escape under the forgiving cover of tree shadows, even as dappled as they were. That alone offered little solace, as the very air hung with the heavy load of tropical humidity, and it seemed to press against the skin. Breathing itself was enough to make anyone uncomfortable. It wasn't even the hottest part of the day, the sun having dipped to a more indirect angle, but the earlier heat still saturated the place, and radiated invisible heat rays back into the air. The ground rippled, the only testament to those unseen waves.<p>

Conan's eyes squinted, as he rose his head to look at the sky. Among the several other small things he had noticed upon shrinking, he found that bearing with the heat was actually a little bit easier in his smaller frame. His gaze dropped to the can of ice coffee in his hands - it was currently the only thing between him and the merciless heat of the sun. He recalled sweating quite a bit more out on the soccer fields as a teenager. The tips of his fingers were wet instead, as the condensation gathered and dripped. Ironically, it was a bit easier to cool his hands, being able to wrap the whole of his palms and fingers against the cool, metallic surface, and he debated lifting it to his cheek. Every once in a while things like this would happen to remind him exactly how different things were for him now physically, in the form of a child. It was easy to forget, since his mind was still basically that of a teenager. Especially lately.

He glanced over to the portly man still struggling to set out the group's belongings into a semblance of organized chaos. Sweat shone on the balding parts of his head, and Conan gave a small grin. Hakase really needed the exercise. Haibara was a demon to force him to do the manual labor in this heat, but he knew it had some good side effects. It was barely noticeable, but someone with a keen eye just might be able to see how his belt was cinched one hole tighter, and that the sleeves of his shirts hung just a little looser. It was slow goings, but Haibara seemed to be making a dent.

His toes curled into the sand, pushing past the upper, hot layer until he found the cool and moist grittiness buried beneath. It felt really nice. He leaned back, using one hand to prop himself up, content in the best possible way. Truth be told, he had not been enjoying the early part of summer, due to a rather agitating series of encounters with Kid. The thief had been setting him all off-balance from the get-go; it was proving difficult to keep his mind clear.

He supposed now that things had settled down the past few weeks, and he'd had time to think, the whole situation was amazing, in a way. The possibility he could ever be like _that_ was entirely new, but the evidence was embarrassing, but irrefutable. Damn thief. It was just like him to point out something so troubling. He had an uncomfortable bit of self-evaluation regarding all of his male acquaintances, and was relatively relieved to find nothing indicative of future problems. Even if he was like _that_, apparently he had no attraction towards his friends. That would have been very problematic, and overall distracting. It was a bit shocking, and mildly embarrassing though, when he found out he had a mild crush on his favorite Tokyo Spirits soccer player, but that was luckily a non-issue. Things were easier when he did not have to send a new critical eye at the people he knew.

In the end, that just left Kid, which was annoying, because that meant completely reevaluating his interactions with him for the millionth time, since it seemed things were always changing. Past encounters were growing stale, and Conan was impatient for the next heist, just so he could having something _new_ to consider and dissect. Moreover, he really wanted to kick him for all the trouble he was causing. Ran had commented he looked less stressed out and happier lately. She blithely asked if he had made a new friend, which nearly sent him sputtering for entirely new reasons. Once he was actually able to grab a hold, he was going to give Kid a solid strangle.

"For someone who expressed concerns about going to the beach on Marine Day, you look rather pleased with yourself." Seemed Haibara noticed something, too, but she noticed the strangest things. Lately, she'd been giving him the _oddest_ looks. He'd decided to not talk to her about the most recent Kid heist at all, to avoid dropping any kind of incriminating implications.

A quick sip, then he grinned over at her. "I'll admit, I'm surprised at the lack of a crowd here. Hakase managed to find a really nice spot."

Her eyes swept over to the shoreline, where a couple dozen kids were splashing and having a good time. Conan had expected to find throngs of people tripping over each other to play in the ocean, and was quite happy to find their place along the shore was a quiet, and sparsely populated one. She took a spot in the shaded sand next to him. "It was recommended to him by a colleague of his, who has family that owns the lodge we will be staying at. Hakase said he had asked around for a somewhat private beach, where he could take us all for the holiday."

Conan followed her gaze and focused on the people in the distance. There was something unsaid there, and it proved just how thoughtful the professor could be. The more embroiled he became in this hunt for the Black Organization, the more grateful he became. If it weren't for him, he just might be dead at this moment, along with all of the people he cared about, Hakase included. He even went out of his way to pick them all up from the school, and brought them straight here. Despite his dubious success rate as an inventor, he was certainly foresighted. They had arrived ahead of any crowds, but judging from the look of the place, it probably would not get too much more crowded than it already was.

"I'll have to thank him later, then." He nodded his head in the professor's direction. "When he's finished with the unpacking." Hakase struggled by, carrying a cooler that must have been packed to the brim. He let it drop under the large umbrella designating their spot, and it left a deep dent in the sand. "What did you pack, anyway? I know Genta's a big eater, but did we really need that much food? We're eating dinner soon, at the lodge."

Haibara put on that secretive little smile, and his eyelids fell to half-mast. Entirely too suspicious. "I may have packed a few extra heavy things at the bottom of the cooler." It was nothing new, but she just reconfirmed it for the nth time. Haibara was a _demon_. He looked back at Hakase, who had his hands on his knees, taking a breather by the car, and his heart reached out for him in pity. Conan hoped he wouldn't pass out from heatstroke anytime soon.

Speaking of which, Conan turned to look at the girl next to him. "Even though it's late in the afternoon, it's still pretty hot out today. Last time we came to the beach, you got heatstroke." And didn't she have this weird fixation on dolphins? He added on, as an afterthought. "There aren't any dolphins in this area during this time of year, so take it easy."

She was giving him an indefinable look and murmured something he did not quite catch when a slew of bubbly laughter caught their attention. Looking over, he could see the rest of their troupe making their way back from the shore in a quick jog. All during class, the three had been bouncing in their seats, and when the final bell finally rang, they had all shot out of the building, barely taking the time to toe their shoes on completely. Genta actually had to tie his shoes in the car, when he noticed the laces dangling.

Once they arrived at the beach, they had ran off, eager to explore, and now that they had returned, the familiar glint in their eyes gave away the fact they had found something, and wanted to share. Sometimes Conan had to wonder if they just attracted trouble, or had a knack for finding it. "Here comes the trouble trio." He grinned fondly, and depositing his can in the sand, rocked to his feet just as they came to a stop in front of the pair.

"You would never guess!"  
>"It's so cool!"<br>"Really amazing, you gotta see!"

Their words overlapped, and Conan patted at the sand on his shorts. "What'd you find, guys?"

The three all exchanged conspiratorial glances, then grinned at him. Ayumi piped up. "Actually, it's better in person. Come on, we'll show you! Hurry!" Conan raised one eyebrow curiously, but followed when they led the way, Haibara in tow. He paused only long enough to shout out a notice to the professor who rose one exhausted arm up in acknowledgement.

"We were looking for buried treasure, so we asked some people if they knew anything." His eyes fell into a deadpan at Genta's introduction. That was not surprising in the least. The kids always wanted to go treasure hunting for one reason or another.

Mitsuhiko continued, one finger pointed up in punctuation. "Most people did not know anything, but one guy did tell us there was a ferocious monster who lived at the edge of the ocean." Conan gave a small grin. That was probably a local elder who liked to tell stories to visiting tourists. Possibly a fisherman.

"So, of course, the Detective Boys decided to investigate!" Ayumi smiled at him, the pride apparent in her voice. It might be hypocritical, but he really should try to instill some caution into them before long. They landed themselves into dangerous situations far too often due to their "investigations".

Mitsuhiko leaned around the girl to elaborate. "When we asked about the monster, we found out it was a dragon!" His theory about the elderly fisherman spouting stories was becoming even more plausible by the minute.

"And of course, dragons have treasure!" Genta's smile couldn't get any bigger.

"One person we talked to was really, really scared when we asked about it. He said the ocean was full of terrible monsters. Another person said the ocean would swallow us whole if we weren't careful."

"That is certainly true, you should be cautious. Monsters do exist in the darkest corners of this world." He shot Haibara a disapproving glance. She merely shrugged, and continued walking, giving the undulating waves her usual aloof gaze.

Conan looked at the trio. "Well, the ocean is dangerous, and has killed many people by dragging them away from the shore, but not because of monsters. A rip current is a strong current under the surface that can take even a grown person by surprise, and drag them out to sea. It's a natural beach formation." Their eyes widened, and Ayumi turned to look at the water with a touch of fear. "However, there are warnings for that, and occasionally beaches are closed when there is a strong one found in the area. If you know to swim diagonally back to shore, then it's something you can escape from. Generally, the undertow increases at low tide and around the seasonal change, and it's still too early in the year for that."

He pointed up at the thin sliver of white hanging high in the sky. "And it's high tide for several more hours. We also won't be too far from shore, so there is nothing to worry about for us here. I think we have more to worry about heatstroke than monsters of the deep." He turned a sarcastic eye at Haibara, and was rewarded with a deadpan.

Mitsuhiko cut in, giving Conan an earnest look. "Oh, but we found the dragon!" He blinked at the boy. In fact, all three had similar smarmy grins.

He tried to smile, really, he did, but it was forced. If anyone noticed, they made no mention of it. "I suppose that's the 'really amazing' thing you wanted to show me, then."

Ayumi's smile brightened, and she raised an arm out, pointing. He followed her finger, spying an outcropping of rocks that jutted straight out into the ocean. The edge fell off into a small cliff, and a smattering of pebbles ringed around the edges in uneven crests, pushed into shape by the unrelenting waves. Conan wished he had his shoes then. It reminded him of the more unpopular beaches at Hawai'i, the sand and pebbles still too coarse to rightfully be comfortably walked on barefoot. "We found out where the dragon lives, but, well…" She squirmed a bit, and was looking over at Mitsuhiko, who also looked a bit nervous. Their words spilled together again.

"It's supposed to be really dangerous. What if it attacks us?"  
>"Some dragons breathe fire, but since this one lives at the ocean, does it breathe water?"<br>"What if it drags us out to the ocean and leaves us there?"  
>"Do you think it can speak? Maybe it will trick us! Maybe it will lure us out, and eat us whole!"<br>"But aren't dragons supposed to be like gods? Does that mean this one is a bad god?"  
>"We were told it was dangerous, so it probably is a bad one. We should definitely steal its treasure!"<br>"Yea, no bad dragon deserves to have treasure!"  
>"But how do we get in there without letting it know we're there?"<br>"This is life or death, it's definitely dangerous."

They were talking with such straight faces, and Conan had a hard time trying not to laugh. If nothing else, the three had a talent for working themselves into a frenzy.

"Oh, are you kids here to see the dragon?" The trio jumped, and Ayumi took a firm grip at Conan's shoulder. Genta shot Conan a dirty look, while Mitsuhiko had somehow situated himself in front of Haibara. It might have been amusing if the nails digging into his skin weren't so distracting.

Conan tugged a bit at the offending fingers and shifted his attention up to the speaker. The man smiled amiably down at them. Judging by his appearance, he looked like a local. His sun-parched skin, and sea-swept hair told the story of a man of the sea. "That's dangerous, you know."

Mitsuhiko was the first to reply. "You know about the dragon?"

He glanced over at the rocks, then grinned back at Mitsuhiko. "You could call me an expert."

The group of them made their way closer, and ignoring the discomfort of his bare feet, the first thing Conan noticed was the noise. A low, reverberating growl, that irregularly grew louder, before unexpectedly waning back into a quiet murmur. It had a feral, animalistic quality to it, and if he had encountered it in the forest, it would have set his hairs on end. It sounded like an angry creature that had been cornered.

The man, who had introduced himself as Fujiwara Kouzei, placed one hand to the side of his mouth, and whispered. "That's the dragon. When he's not out making trouble, he's here sleeping. He has a really noisy snore."

"Oi, he's not going to wake up with us here, is he?" Genta's voice was also a whisper, but pitched a little higher than usual. Ayumi was clinging onto his sleeve.

"Don't worry, he won't leave the water, unless he gets _really_ mad. I've heard he's a really heavy sleeper, too, so we should be okay up here."

Conan's face slid to a deadpan. This Fujiwara guy was enjoying this far too much. Well, judging by the reactions of the kids, the performance was effective - except Haibara, but she was abnormal to begin with. She seemed a little distracted since earlier. He watched for a moment as she held her focus on some point in the sky before turning his attention back to Fujiwara. She could stare at the moon all she liked. He batted away a mental image of a trim figure in white, and pressed his focus back forward. "What can you tell us about this dragon?"

Fujiwara dropped his hand, and smiled out at the sea. "He used to be our local guardian deity, until the day he fell in love with a human."

That perked Ayumi's attention. Strangely, Haibara also turned her head, in muted interest. "Oh no, what happened?"

"A beautiful lady, Ama, was engaged to a noble man, and as payment of dowry, the bride's father sent a priceless pearl to the groom's family. All was going well, until the dragon, angry about the engagement, decided to steal the pearl for himself." At this, he looked back at the kids.

"That became his most prized possession, and he soon began to neglect the waters. When the dowry never arrived, the groom's family became angry, and cancelled the arrangement, but the two were already deeply in love. Ama was desperate, so she jumped into the sea, so she could take back the stolen pearl."

By that time, the kids were all leaning a bit forward with keen interest. "What happened then?"

"This was not such an easy thing to do, though. She had to wait until the dragon was asleep, before she could snatch it. However, as she fled, the dragon woke up, and chased her. The ocean turned choppy, and waves crashed everywhere when he violently woke up. She had been tired from waiting for the dragon to sleep, and she was not able to swim away. Half-crazy in anger, the dragon wound up killing the very human he had fallen in love with. Overcome with grief, the dragon now scares everyone out of the waters. When he sleeps, the waters are calm, and guards the pearl with an iron fist."

Genta spoke up. "What about when he's awake? Does he still carry it around?"

Fujiwara grinned. "That is something the groom wanted to find out, too. When he found out that Ama was killed, he chased until he finally cornered the dragon."

Their eyes sparkled at the story. "Wow, so he went right up against the dragon, how cool!"

That grin widened. "He was not able to find the pearl, though, and the dragon got away. He lives in the waters here, but no one dares bother him while he sleeps. Since then, many men continue to go out to sea everyday, looking for the dragon, and looking for pearls."

"What was the man's name?" Haibara seemed more interested than Conan was expecting. "You never mentioned it."

His smile now took on a strange twist. "His name was Fujiwara no Fuhito." Conan couldn't help but give a wry smile in return. _Expert, indeed_. He also understood now why he hadn't given the name to begin with.

From the corner of his eye, he watched as some psychic switch flickered in the trio's collective mind, and they huddled their heads together, shooting fierce whispers at each other. A nagging sense was edging in on him, and he had a suspicion of what they were going to plan before the first word even came out. The small curve of Haibara's lips said she was just as aware of their antics as he was.

"So no one has tried to search where he sleeps when the dragon is gone?"  
>"There really might be treasure here!"<br>"We need to find out when the dragon is awake, so we can come explore!"

Ignoring their continued plotting, Conan peered over the edge, then his lips curled up in a sharp smirk. _I see_.

He leaned back, shoving his fists into his pockets. "If we come back tomorrow morning, the dragon should be gone." The three all glanced at him in confusion. Fujiwara just made a small, strangled noise in the back of his throat, and gave a shocked look of someone duly impressed. Conan replied with a knowing smile.

"How do you know?" Mitsuhiko was giving his familiar skeptical look, and Ayumi was struggling to see what he had, though clearly intimidated. He had to give her points for having courage.

He grinned brightly. "You'll see. In the meantime, Hakase brought snacks. Let's head back and eat. I'm sure he must be worried, by now." It was almost funny how quickly Genta came to attention at the mention of food. Conan turned his attention towards Fujiwara, and shot him the same smile he used to charm the police. "Thanks for showing us around, Fujiwara-san."

He smiled in return. "Not a problem, but you should still be careful. Oh, since it's the holiday, we're having a festival near the lodge." Leaning forward, he propped his hands on his knees to be eyelevel with the kids. "We have all kinds of food stalls and games, if you're interested."

Ayumi's eyes sparkled, and the others all seemed to drip with enthusiasm. "Uhn! We heard about it, so we brought our clothes and everything!"

Fujiwara straightened, a hand on his hip. "Great! Maybe I'll see you guys there!"

With that promise in mind, bright smiles, and energetic waves, the group parted, heading back to the allure of good snacks, and cool drinks.

* * *

><p>Kaito winced for perhaps the fiftieth time that day. He loved parties, events, and festivals like everyone else, maybe even more so, since he had a predilection for the theatrical and other venues of entertainment, but today was sheer torture. He knew the reasoning, but the less logical part of him was wondering <em>why<em> a holiday was made about something as distasteful as the ocean. Certainly, Japan was a country with heavy dependence on the sea, as much of its food came from there, and Kaito held nothing against his country for that but - those _things_ were _everywhere_.

He shied away from another shaped banner with the printed visage of something scaly as it flittered lazily in the breeze. The mantra he had coined earlier in the day repeated itself. _Just a bit of fabric, just a bit of fabric_. He hated those banners.

Aoko had strong-armed him into coming on this little trip. He had no reason to refuse an invite for vacation, seeing as it was a holiday weekend, but had he known they would be visiting the motherland of all _terrors_, he would have refused. School credit could be earned in other ways, surely. He wanted nothing more than to finish this exercise in torment, and return to his room. However, judging by his enthusiastic teacher, and his classmates' brimming excitement, that would not be happening very soon. He let out a suffering sigh. Very rarely did he ever want for festivities to just end already.

But, he supposed, the one thing that had placed him even more on edge than anything else today was encountering _those kids_. They were so far from both Beika and Ekoda, it had to be some cruel twist of fate. This was because, wherever they were, _he_ was sure to follow. Kaito shuddered slightly, trying to keep his eyes trained on the paper lanterns lining their pathway. It wasn't a bad thing. And it wasn't that it was a good thing either. It was dangerous. And tempting. Gods, it was tempting, and in all the wrong ways. His gaze lowered to watch his toes as he shuffled along, feet poking out from his yukata as he walked.

Ever since he last saw Tantei-kun, he had completely invaded all his thoughts. He was dreaming about him more frequently, too. Regular dreams, dreams that were more memory than not, and then there were the ones which caused him to wake up with a mess in his lap. Those were becoming more frequent as well. His cheeks tinged a faint pink, and he continued walking forward, if a bit more mechanically.

He refused to take matters into his own hands when the only mental images popping into his head were Tantei-kun, Tantei-kun, _Tantei-kun_. It was completely screwing with his rhythm. His sheets were suffering that price, and it was a bit mortifying that he could no longer appropriately handle his hormonal issues to avoid such messes. It wasn't that he had a problem with Tantei-kun, per se, it was just the size thing. Even if he very well knew exactly who Tantei-kun _really_ was, that did not change the fact that there very clearly was an age barrier. At least he couldn't blame his subconscious, for whatever abstraction it decided to come up with.

Then there was the feelings issue. He had a shadow of suspicion when he last met with him, but now he was pretty sure about it. He knew he liked Tantei-kun from the start - he was amazingly sharp, quick-witted, intelligent, and fun to challenge - but like _that_? This new development was distressing. Tantei-kun was supposed to be a comrade in witticism, a rival. Ever since he decided to bring in the emotional aspect, Kaito was having a harder time rolling with the punches. More and more, he wanted to catch a glimpse, to talk more, to spend time together, to find ways to extend the times they did during heists. It was all Tantei-kun's fault, but he had to admit, he was falling. His face fell into an annoyed deadpan. And that was _precisely_ what was vexing.

What to do about it, though, was entirely different. Kaito was Kaitou Kid. Tantei-kun was living out a secret identity, probably for some serious reason. He was also an incurable detective. His total antithesis, a toxin, his possible undoing. This would not be easy. Kaito had held off on sending out heist notices for several weeks now, because he wanted to avoid tackling the problem just yet. Now that those kids were in the area, somehow he felt meeting up with Tantei-kun was becoming inevitable. What to do, what to do.

His shoulders tensed a bit when he heard the warning tone in Aoko's voice as she called his name. Indigo flickered up, only to find her shooting an unpleasant look his way. Internally, he sighed. What had he done _this time_? Kaito felt he'd been behaving rather well ever since they'd arrived that afternoon. Too much chance for retribution in this godforsaken place. Another shiver slithered down his spine. "Your father may have neglected to tell you this, Aoko, but if you continue to scowl that way, your features will stick."

Her eyes flashed, predictably, and he shifted his weight to the balls of his feet, ready to jump away if need be. A yukata was stifling, and difficult to move in, but he could probably manage. "Oh, no you don't. You won't get off ignoring me _that_ easily." Ah, so he'd been caught. That meant that an invasive and tenacious interrogation about what was on his mind was looming on the horizon. He tried placating her with an easygoing grin.

"What can I say, it's depressingly difficult to flip up a yukata, and I was trying to decide the easiest way. I'd ask you for pointers, but you're about as subtle as an elephant in a china shop." He hopped back a step.

She growled in reply. "You're an insufferable pervert!"

"I can't help being born a boy. Take up the facts with that friend of yours; her father's a genius."

"Keiko-chan's dad has nothing to do with it!" Kaito nodded to himself. Deflection technique was successful. Aoko at this point was simple to deal with, and if he was lucky, she would forget about his mood swings and distraction. Everything he had on his mind inevitably turned back towards his night job in one aspect or another, and that was one topic that was completely taboo. Aoko, for all her friendly concern, must never know. The less she knew, the safer she would be.

"What, you wanted to personally verify? I never knew you were so _forward_!" Her face turned red, and the explosion of rage building inside her was nearly palpable. Kaito grinned when she raised her arm, wielding the water yoyo in her hand like a brandished weapon. Oh, it was stretchy. This would be interesting.

Kaito ducked, and twirled past a few bystanders, cackling. The crowd parted, eyes wide, and a bit incredulous, as the thing cut an arc through the air. He wondered how durable the thing was, and how long it would last before the rubber cord snapped. He had to make sure he was nowhere near it when it finally decided to give way. As it was, it was serving as an interesting display. More optimistically, Aoko could even be a walking advertisement for the stall which offered them as prizes. If it weren't for the shimmering anger rolling off of her, she might have even been considered to be having quite a bit of fun. Kaito, well acquainted with Aoko to begin with, knew she probably very well _was_. She'd recognize it later, when she was more calm, but for now, he just had to dodge the strikes.

Another impressive series of swings, and he wondered if she might be able to take up the yoyo in a professional sense. Her handling of the thing was enough to cause people to stare, gawking. Kaito tapped the edge of it when it stretched to capacity, and shot her a cheeky grin. Close, but not quite. He scuttled backwards, weaving his way through the crowd.

As he flipped, Kaito decided that moving in a yukata really was as difficult as he predicted it would be. It was something that he could possibly get used to, however, as he had easily enough managed to learn how to move in a cape. He just needed some more practice, was all, and perhaps by the end of the weekend, he could concentrate a little less on how he was moving, and more on his surroundings. This fact was brought to home when he hurled himself in the air in a back flip, intending to bypass a nearby group of passers-by.

Kaito shot his arms out in front of him, mildly surprised at their proximity, and found the nearest set of shoulders he could use to propel himself along. He felt a little bad about it. The students at Ekoda High were used to his antics, but they were quite far from his usual roaming grounds, and knew he might be insulting more than a few people. He considered if he should put on an impromptu magic show to appease any ruffled feathers. It _was_ a festival, after all.

All thoughts came to a stuttering halt, however, when piercing blue stared straight at him in startled shock, less than an arm's length away. Of all people, of all shoulders to choose for a boost- His eyes widened, and his weight faltered in a spectacular display of flailing limbs. Arms buckled, and he spilled onto the ground in a graceless sprawl. Both grunted as the wind was knocked out of their chests. Spitting out impulsive apologies, he scrambled to lift his weight up, and stared at the person under him.

Time slowed to a crawl.

His eyes were squeezed shut, brow furrowed in a tight expression of discomfort. One hand had flown up to Kaito's chest, as if to help soften the blow, and boldly grazed against bare skin. The contact seared his senses, instantly negating the twinges of pain radiating up from his knees and elbows. It felt like electricity, a magnetic kind of heat seeping from those fingers. The other hand fisted into the fabric of his yukata, probably in some misguided attempt to keep from falling in the first place. It tugged the cotton taut over his shoulder, very nearly holding him in place. As it was, it prevented him from pulling too far away.

A knee shifted up, brushing against Kaito's inner thigh, again bare skin as his yukata gaped open, and he sucked in a breath. Eyes opened, and then that blueness, overwhelming, bright, and full of so much more than should rightly be in a child's eyes, flittered open and locked on him. For one split second, there was no mask, no pretense, nothing but the simple honesty of Kudou Shin'ichi looking up at him in lightning-quick assessment. If Kaito hadn't already sucked in a breath, he would have done so again. They were _so close_.

Tantei-kun was here, underneath him. If he had landed a little differently, if he had tilted his head just a bit, if those fingers curled over his skin- Was he dreaming again? Would he wake up, balefully staring at his sheets, wishing for them to clean themselves? It was so vivid, so clear and real, but it had to be a dream. Because Kuroba Kaito never encountered Tantei-kun for a reason. It had to be a dream, he wanted it to be one. Dreams had a certain safety to them.

Kaito had even opened his mouth, lips already forming to say the familiar word. _Meitantei_. He was saved from that blunder by the shrill cry Aoko had let loose. "Oh no, are you okay?" She brusquely shoved him aside, tending to the fallen detective instead. No matter that it sent Kaito sprawling on the ground again, reigniting the sparks of pain in his knees.

Rather than complain at the rough treatment, he sent an irritated look at her profile, all the while mentally thanking her for the interruption. Gods, was he really just now debating kissing him? In public, no less! Kid persona notwithstanding, it was a criminal offense! A real crime, sort of. _Sort of_. Tantei-kun wasn't a real kid. Kind of. Argh, how confusing! Regardless, it was bad. Maybe. Kaito wanted to slam his head into the nearest hard, flat surface. He hadn't seen Tantei-kun in far too long, he decided, if he was reduced to a babbling idiot just by accidental proximity.

With a swallow, he tried to ignore the tracing tingles dancing over his skin. His nighttime musings had a whole new slew of fodder material to use, he wryly admitted to himself. More importantly, though, his brain was now rattled, and forced into high gear. This was not a dream. Dreams did not hurt. And because of that, it meant he had to get the _hell_ out of there, pronto. Preferably as anonymously as possible. And with Aoko in tow, lest she spill any unwanted information.

From the corner of his eye, he could see the girl called Haibara giving him an odd look. A groan reverberated inside his head. There's no way she could possibly know, was there? No way. He watched for a moment as her brow furrowed, and shot a similar odd look in Tantei-kun's direction, resulting in her raising a single eyebrow in a clear arch. What was she looking at? Kaito really, really wanted to know. But no. Curiosity would be his undoing. The faster he got out of there, the better.

He turned his attention to the safest, if not the most ironic, target. "If you hadn't been flinging that thing around like a wild woman, I wouldn't have run into him in the first place." Kaito pulled himself off the ground, and patted at the dirt clinging to the fabric of his yukata. He carefully avoided the area on his leg where the traces of contact still lingered, unable to bring himself to erase the physical memory just yet. As such, he similarly readjusted the hem of his yukata over his chest.

Aoko shot him a dirty look, tinged with a bit of surprise. This time, it was a wince that passed through him. "If you had stayed still and accepted discipline like a normal human being, then this whole situation could have been avoided. Why are you always making trouble, Ka-"

"I can't help it if I was bored!" He hurriedly cut her off, grimacing. "And no normal human being would stand still when you're promising nothing short of a concussion. Besides, the kid's fine." A dismissive hand waved in Tantei-kun's general direction. Kaito was careful to avoid eye contact, but he could feel the tingling sensation of observant eyes on him.

She huffed. "That isn't the point!" Ignoring Tantei-kun was proving incredibly difficult. Plus, those other kids were here. They veritably oozed trouble vibes, and Kaito recognized them. He was an expert on the subject, after all, and as if on cue, one piped up.

"Ah! You're the onii-san from earlier today!" He glanced down, staring blankly at the young girl. Really, she was impossible to deal with, and seemed to unknowingly create a good deal of chaos in his life. She was insufferably cute, and the apex of all things pink in the world, so maybe this was her one curse. Kaito hated being on the end of it. He could hear the other boys quietly confirm her proclamation amongst themselves.

"Oh, that's right, he is the same guy!"  
>"Did we meet someone like that?"<br>"Oh come on, Genta-kun, don't tell me you've already forgotten! You're a Detective Boy, aren't you?"  
>"But we met so many people today…"<p>

Did these kids ever shut up? Kaito wanted to flee already, and would have if that wouldn't have seemed terribly suspicious.

"You've met?" Tantei-kun's voice cut through the air like needles. The prickling sensation intensified, and Kaito's poker face slammed instinctively into place, so quickly that his cheeks hurt from the force of it. It was sheer irony, but he never thought he would ever have to pretend to be himself, when all he wanted at that moment was to be Kid. He fought back the impulsive smirk, instead fashioning his features into apathetic boredom. It was disgusting how giddy he was, despite the alarming danger of the situation. This wasn't a heist. Not even reconnaissance! Normal never felt so abnormal.

Ignoring the question, he chose instead to reply to the young girl who seemed insistent on hindering his escape. "Oh, if it isn't the pretty little ojou-chan! I interrupted your date, didn't I?" Ugh, the words tasted sour in his mouth.

Predictably, a tint of red grew across the top of her cheekbones, and her eyes twinkled at the implication. The boy next to her whined in protest. "It's not a date! We're all here together!"

"That's right! We're here for food!"

"Not just the food, Genta-kun, the _festival_." She spoke with a pout at having her bubble broken, though the blush persisted. Well, at least their attention span was relatively short. They could easily entertain and derail conversations on their own. He liked kids in general, as their reactions to his magic were full of wide-eyed wonder. But he only liked them when they weren't threatening to expose his civilian identity to his archrival and potential lov- No, Kaito killed that thought right there.

Kaito switched his attention back to Aoko, who was looking at Tantei-kun with a strange, considering eye. His stomach dropped, lurching at the familiar expression. She was _curious_. "Have I seen you somewhere before?" Her gaze moved over to the other kids as well. "You all seem… familiar."

No, bad Aoko, _bad_!

A smug little chuckle, and the rub of a nose preceded the reply. "We're the Detective Boys!" No! Introductions were bad! They lead to other self-introductions, which leads to further conversation, which leads to discussions of hobbies, which leads to an x-ray examination of your whole being by an ultra-perceptive detective, who can surely discover any and all secret identities a person may have, and Kaito will find himself in jail by morning, which means his father's killers will roam free, still hunting for that damn gem, Pandora. Kaito sucked in a breath at his own winded, internal monologue. In short - introductions were bad!

Seconds passed by, and he could hear the cogs in her brain moving, trying to place the information before Aoko's face lit up in recognition. His stomach churned with nervous energy, and he was beginning to debate if he should just grab her arm and run.

"Oh! I've seen you in the paper!" Her eyes were sparkling. "You've managed to thwart Kaitou Kid's heists, haven't you? So that makes you…" She turned her gaze on Tantei-kun. "The Kid Killer, right?"

Okay, so seeing the blush on his face was worth the subject of Kid coming up. For a brief second, a tiny flicker of panic seemed to pass over his features, before smoothing out into the bashful mask Kaito was familiar with. His chest swelled. Good to know he wasn't the only one flustered at the moment.

"That's just a nickname the papers gave me, is all." And then he tittered.

Aoko turned a sly eye his way. "How about that. We get to meet the famous Detective Boys, formidable enemy of the notorious Kaitou Kid. Even the rumored Kid Killer!" She was enjoying this way too much to be healthy.

Kaito's eyes slid into deadpan. He already knew exactly who these kids were, _especially_ Tantei-kun, and had no such desire to acquaint them with his civilian persona. "Right, whatever. Can we go now? I'm getting hungry. Those unagi pies were good, but not very filling."

He heard the gasp, and practically felt the imaginary sparkles being pelted in his direction. "U-unagi pie?" Glancing over, he was entirely unsurprised to see a drooling mass of kid giving him the most earnest and demanding look. Kaito took a step back to feign shock and blinked. "Hey, onii-san, can you tell me where you got those?"

"Genta-kun!" More than one of his friends groaned in annoyance, and Kaito had to suppress a grin. Score one in his escape plan. Distract the glutton!

"Ah, sure." He nodded his head toward the distance, motioning at a stall he knew was clear on the far edge of the festival. "It's back by the south gate. It's a popular takoyaki stall, but they also sell those on the side. I recommend you hurry, though - the line is pretty long."

"Uhn, thanks!" He turned his attention to the others. "C'mon guys, let's go, let's go!" Slamming his feet into the ground, he clearly had no patience. In fact, he was already running off in that direction.

"Wait, Genta-kun! Argh, I'm so sorry." The polite boy gave him a small bow, before making his way after his friend. The others followed suit in similar fashion, sending him apologetic murmurs and making chase. One of the last to leave was Tantei-kun, who he avoided looking at, but when he was gone, Kaito finally felt like he could breathe again.

If he tried, he probably would not have been able to disguise his sigh of relief. Tantei-kun was like a double-edged sword. He had a bad habit of making everything so complicated! So difficult, things could never be easy with him around. At least he had managed to get past that small mountain of a hurdle. Now, all he had to do was ditch Aoko for a bit, and keep an eye out for Tantei-kun to make sure any and all suspicion was completely alleviated. At least now that he knew exactly where he was, Kaito could keep a watchful eye, and could effectively stay away.

Kaito raised a noncommittal hand, and gave a halfhearted wave at their retreating figures. "Bye~." He turned in time to see Aoko glaring at him. Her hair flew across her shoulder, as she turned her head quickly to the side with a pointed huff. His grin dropped down a few notches. Not good, she was still upset at him. But, the most important issue had been resolved, so he could take a little bit of silent treatment. It wouldn't last long, anyway.

He turned to face Aoko head on. "Look, I just remembered I left something in my room. It's getting late, anyway, so could you tell Arakawa-sensei I'm heading back to the lodge?"

She rounded on him, clearly surprised. Of course she was, Kaito _never_ left festivals early. She was pinning him with one of her concerned looks. "What is wrong with you, Kaito? First you're totally distracted, then you fall onto a kid, and then you don't even try and say you're sorry or cheer him up. Actually, you totally ignored him! Now, you want to leave early?"

Kaito wanted to curl in a ball, or run away, or _something_, because now she was eyeing him with a frown. Not a frown of annoyance, or a scowl of irritation, but a genuine, worried frown. He had made her worry. What was worse - that was the one expression he was weak against. He never liked to see it, since she wore it so often after his father died. It set his senses itching, and he wanted to run, pacify her, or do anything to make it go away. He wanted to sigh.

He opened his mouth to give her reassurances, but Aoko continued before he could. "You're never clumsy. Even with these clothes, that wasn't normal. You're distracted about something. What's wrong? You haven't been acting normal for weeks."

His eyebrows rose. "Aoko…" Kaito hadn't realized he was acting any different from normal. Hakuba did not point anything out, anyway. Then again, he had been away, visiting England for quite a bit this summer.

"I'm your best friend, and I've known you for ten years. You can talk to me about anything."

Well, anything but Kid. Kaito swiveled his head, taking in the fleeting figures of the group of children from the corner of his eye. They were going for takoyaki, weren't they? Given the line he remembered seeing, that afforded him about twenty minutes, give or take a few. He let the sigh loose, and turned his attention back to Aoko, giving her a critical once-over. True, there _was_ something bothering him. He could be vague, couldn't he? Maybe she could help him. Gently taking her arm, he redirected them to a quieter place they could talk in privacy.

He was quiet a long moment, mulling his thoughts around in his head, and then started slowly. "Aoko, you have a dream don't you? Like, a goal you strive for."

Her frown deepened. "What does that have to do with anything?"

Kaito waved a hand, a bit impatiently. He knew the answer already, but he needed to word things correctly. "Just answer the question."

A huff, and she nodded. "Of course I do. I've told you about it before - I plan to join the police, and kick criminal butts."

That startled a small snort through his nose, and she glowered at him. His eyebrows shot up, and he raised his hands in a calming gesture to stave off her indignant bout of self-defense. He doubted mops were standard issue, but he knew Aoko would probably wind up exactly where she said she would, doing exactly as she planned, mop or no mop. Little Nakamori, junior. It was fully an endearing mental image.

"I have things I strive toward, as well." She backed down, letting her hands rest on her hips, still frowning. His mouth opened, then snapped shut again, giving her another critical look. This was harder than he thought. "There is someone I know, and they aren't the most… supportive in that respect."

Aoko quirked an eyebrow, a minor bit of interest flickering in her eyes. "You aren't the type to let something like that bother you."

She really did know him pretty well, but Kid was a special case. "No, but this person," and he fought back the lump of embarrassment building in his throat. "They're very important to me. And, I'm pretty sure I'm important to them, too."

Kaito hooked his thumbs distractedly over the edge of his belt sash in lieu of pockets. He let his gaze wander back to the direction the group of kids disappeared to.

"We fight all the time, but it's all in good nature. We have our disagreements, but ultimately I think we have the same intentions in mind. It's just, I don't think they're too understanding of my, ah, _shows_. We bicker about my magic a lot, but that's just the way they are, and I don't expect that to change. They wouldn't be the same, otherwise." His eyes softened, and a soft chuckle passed his lips at the realization that he had been praising Tantei-kun's criticisms. To find something which would normally be insulting as something endearing instead - he wasn't just falling, he had already fallen. Aoko's eyes had widened a bit, and the light dusting of pink on her cheeks went completely unnoticed.

"I hadn't realized until recently just how important they were to me." Kaito blinked at his own words. To hear them actually said aloud seemed to solidify things. Tantei-kun was more than just important to him. He was becoming a reason all his own. "But, I can't give up my goals. I'm selfish - I don't want to give up either."

Kaito let his voice trail off a bit, and he become solemn. "I feel like, if I don't follow through, I will be letting my dad down." He finally faced Aoko again.

She gave him an expression he was unable to decipher. "Are you saying you feel like you have to choose between the two?"

"Well, they are at odds." Hell, he was a thief, and Tantei-kun was a detective. They were like polar opposites. Tantei-kun's position obligated him to try and capture him, and Kaitou Kid's position obligated him to run away. Her brow furrowed at that, looking mildly confused. That wasn't something he could explain.

When her lips turned down into a frown, he wanted to smack his forehead. This whole conversation had to be completely pointless! He didn't mean to make her even more worried than she already was. She spoke up, suddenly. "Are you sure about that?" Aoko looked to be speaking carefully, and Kaito raised a curious eyebrow. "At odds, I mean. If you talk about it, you might find they aren't as unsupportive as you thought."

She pinned him with a strangely expectant stare, and it made Kaito a bit uncomfortable. If he had to dodge tranquilizer needles while he was on the job, he was fairly convinced they were at odds. "We haven't exactly _spoken_ about it, but I'm still pretty sure."

"Kaito, I…" She sighed and shook her head as if to erase that train of thought. "If they really find you important, it shouldn't matter, right? You shouldn't have to choose for something like that. Are you sure you're not making assumptions? It could just be a misunderstanding. I mean, it's obvious your father is precious to you."

Kaito's fingers tensed over the fabric of his belt. It was never easy talking about his father, especially now, knowing what he knew. He idolized him as a magician, and learning he had been going against a criminal organization as Kaitou Kid was nothing short of amazing. His father was doing something incredible. No, he was incredible himself. Memories of him were always pleasant, but knowing he had been mercilessly assassinated rubbed metaphorical glass in his emotional wounds. Nothing aside from arrest would stop him in his quest to land the criminals responsible in jail. "It isn't so simple. It's the principle of the thing. It's something that only I can do."

Aoko stared at him, shock plain on her face, and he wanted to wince. That was going a bit far. He averted his gaze again, and sighed. "They don't know about my father. So while it kind of concerns him, it doesn't at the same time. That's not the sort of thing I want to tell him about, really. Not yet, anyway. It's something I have chosen to do on my own. Just, it's difficult when they continue to fight me about it."

"Wait." He glanced back at her, and found her furrowing her brow. She looked completely confused. Kaito frowned. He felt it was a decent explanation, and hoped he wouldn't have to try again. Talking around the Kid issue was a bit taxing. Aoko opened her mouth, then closed it again a number of times, clearly trying to decide on what to say. Finally, she sent an uncertain gaze his way and spoke. "So, you're saying you're at odds about something you haven't even talked about?"

Kaito nodded, so she continued. "And yet you still concern yourself about what they think about it, right?" Kaito nodded again. "Because you care about this person, right?" He nodded a third time.

She nibbled at her bottom lip. "And they're a boy?" She blurted it out, as if unable to properly formulate the words. Kaito started, and wondered how the hell she figured that out. A quick reevaluation of their conversation sent a small groan through his head. He hadn't intended for that to slip out. He wanted to bark out denials, but he bit his tongue and managed to just shoot her a bug-eyed stare at the blunt statement instead. Kaito settled for a small nod of the head.

Aoko continued to stare at him, as if he were some alien, or some strange new species of animal she had never seen before. Multiple expressions flickered over her features, passing by and morphing far too rapidly for him to name any of them. His throat ran dry. He knew she was open-minded, but he hadn't expected her to have such a strong reaction. It made him nervous.

"Are… You like guys?" She was blushing deeply, now. Her feet scraped against the ground, fidgeting.

Kaito sputtered, and shook his head. His hands came up, using them to enunciate his point. "No, no, no!"

"But…," she trailed off, and was looking at him oddly again.

He had to fight the blush this time, letting his hands drop. His gaze wandered restlessly around, entirely conscious of the nearby roving crowds of people. "He's just different. It's his fault, he took over my brain!" He tugged a bit at his belt, failing at his attempts to conceal his embarrassment. "It's his fault. He made me… like this."

A long silence settled between them. Kaito didn't quite know to make of it, but he waited, anyway. She seemed to be thinking things through. Finally, she breathed in, then sighed heavily. "Ah, what am I going to do with you? You said it yourself - you're selfish! Who's to stop you from doing what you want? I have been trying that for years." And then she grinned. There was something strained about it, though. It was enough to spur a small sigh of relief from Kaito, and he let his hands fall back to his sides. "Whoever he is might complain about it, but you always get your way in the end, don't you? I doubt this will be much different. If he really does consider you important, then he will understand, I'm sure."

"Complaining is a mild understatement." Kaito slid into deadpan, all kinds of imaginations coming to mind - most involving soccer balls.

She shrugged. "Then consider this. Is he worth it? I think really that's the most important thing. I know you probably can't change how you feel about your obligations to your father, so it comes down to that." Hooking one hand on her hip, she tilted her head and looked at him sternly. "You said you don't want to give up either, right? Then all you have to do is put up with that until he understands. I still think you should talk about things, though. Not everyone is a mind-reader."

Considering his deductive abilities, Tantei-kun might as well be one. Kaito opted for a more diplomatic response. "I'll consider it." He gave her a bright grin. It was a shoulder-lightening conversation, but still left some issues unresolved by the sheer nature of being Kid-related. He would just have to talk to Tantei-kun, and see where things went from there. "Thanks, Aoko."

"That's what best friends are for." She had that same strained kind of smile as earlier. "Uhm, it's not… Hakuba-kun, is it?"

Kaito stared at her, brain fused in some minor temporal explosion. "Excuse me?"

"The guy. You know…" She trailed off, nibbling at her lip again. "I mean, you seem to get along well."

The implication was borderline horrific, and Kaito had to wonder if he would have nightmares. He turned fully, and firmly planted his hands on her shoulders. With a straight glare, he looked at her. "Aoko, that is singularly the most terrifying and insulting thing I have ever heard. Please, never utter that again."

She blinked several times, then nodded with something resembling relief. "Uh, okay." Kaito nodded himself, in satisfaction.

"Right. Anyway, I do still want to go back to the room. Can you tell Arakawa-sensei? It's been a long day."

Her familiar spirit returned, and she looked at him with an unapologetic leer. "Not fond of the décor, Kaito?"

"Shuddup. I can deal with the banners here, no problem." He frowned, and waved a flippant hand, causing her to giggle.

"Alright, alright, I'll go and tell him. You owe me a bowl of shaved ice tomorrow, though."

"Yea, yea." He was still pouting, but at least he was free to go. "I'll catch you later, then." Shrugging off his irritation, he raised his hand and waved with a grin as she trotted off. His grin sharpened when she was gone, and turning his head, he focused in the direction of the takoyaki stall. Time to stalk certain tiny detectives.

About five minutes later, he found them, still waiting in line as he predicted. The food stall was one of the most popular he'd seen so far, and after trying the takoyaki himself, was inclined to agree that the wait was well justified. Slipping into the edge of the crowd, he made himself scarce. A twirling head, and Tantei-kun was soon sending a curious gaze at the spot where he had just been standing. Man, his senses were sharp! Kaito tensed and considered giving himself a disguise, but felt it would be a bit futile - he didn't have an extra yukata, and there was no way Tantei-kun would let that large of a detail go unnoticed. It was more inconspicuous if he stayed himself, so instead, he chose to hang around the edges. It was a bit more understated spy work than he was used to, but not something he had never done before.

With a small shake of the head, Tantei-kun returned his attention to the Haibara girl, apparently dismissing his search. When he flushed and shot her a retort to something she had said with a smirk, Kaito really wished he was within earshot. Whatever had made him blush was certainly worth knowing.

It didn't take long, but Kaito could feel a smile tugging at his lips, only noticing it when his cheeks began to twinge. He realized with a start that his Kid grin was leaking out, and with no small amount of embarrassment, let out a small choked laugh at his own inability to restrain himself. A number of people sent him odd looks, so he tried his best to smother the expression into something more resembling absent amusement. He hurried his way further into the outskirts and amongst the nearby trees, out of sight. Navigating around a few bushes, he found himself a good spot, and hunkered against the nearest tree. The line had grown since the last time he passed by, so there would still be a fair wait involved. Until then, he could content himself with just watching in solitude. Settling into a comfortable position, he lapsed into thought.

"_He will understand", hunh_. Kaito watched as the group of kids interacted, eyes trained on Tantei-kun who continued to tense and send furtive glances into the crowds. He squeezed his eyes shut, and rested his head against the bark. Easier said than done. Could he take that risk? He swallowed and let himself drop to a squat, weight pressing into the trunk for balance. Could Kaitou Kid really take that kind of a risk? Over the edge of his folded arms, he sat silently and watched with half-lidded eyes. Was Tantei-kun worth it?

Multicolored lights danced over his face, half-hidden by the shadows cast by the trees. Ha, what a ridiculous question.


End file.
